Six Degrees of Separation
by Agilleo
Summary: "All living things and everything else in the world is six or fewer steps away from each other. Who knows? A wildcard might be your neighbour. Tokyo is a massive place afterall." A Persona 5 story.
1. April 11 2016 Monday

**SIX DEGREES OF SEPARATION**

* * *

 **4/11 Morning**

With its exquisite curry and a globally diverse selection of coffee beans, the worn down storefront hid a local treasure. Cafe Leblanc. Kept away in a corner of the backstreets of Yongen-Jaya, the unassuming cafe was an oasis in the urban landscape. Worn down benches and scratched up table tops emanated a feeling of home, the aroma of roasted coffee beans only amplifying it. It was Sojiro Sakura's haven.

Underneath heavy rain, Cafe LeBlanc quietly opened for the day.

Sojiro sighed at the weather. The cafe always had low sales during the rainy days and today was no exception. Four hours passed before Sojiro was tempted to close for the day, the rain showing no sign of ending. Untying his apron, the soft chime of the bell finally rung, signalling the first customer of the day.

"Welcome," Sojiro greeted the customer. "What'll it be?"

"Hello," the rugged man greeted back, "didn't expect a storm on my first day here."

Sojiro nodded, eyeing the man. He was a new customer. Drenched from the rain, the man removed his trenchcoat and placed it at the hangar. Shaking his silver hair dry, Sojiro saw a glimpse of a scar on the man's head. Upon closer inspection, Sojiro stiffened in anxiety. Large scars covered the man's arm as if he was attacked by an animal of some sort.

"I mean no harm," the man joked, easily seeing Sojiro's discomfort.

He took a seat at one of the bar stools, ordering LeBlanc's specialty curry. Sojiro simply nodded and started the stove. Quick with his hands, the aroma of something special quickly overtook the cafe.

"Tokyo sure is a big place", the man started, looking at what Sojiro assumed was a map on his phone. "I've recently moved across the street and I heard this place was something special."

"You're a country boy, eh?" Sojiro commented.

The man shook his head. "Port Island actually," he corrected. "Tokyo is massive compared to that place still though."

Sojiro nodded before grabbing a spoon and placing a plate of curry with a side of rice in front of the man.

"One LeBlanc curry."

Saying a quick thanks, the man dug into the rich curry. A smirk of satisfaction graced Sojiro's face as the man's face lit up in surprise. A visible reaction of happiness from his customers was one of the few things he truly enjoyed. Rather, it was one of the only things kept him from closing down.

"This... is… amazing!" The man spoke between bites. "This oil… it's different," he observed, relishing the deep flavours with each bite.

He was surprised at the man's quick deduction of one of the curry's secret main ingredient. Sojiro let out a chuckle, a friendly atmosphere developing between the two.

"And how'd you figure that out, young man?" Sojiro said, leaning on the counter behind him.

"An old friend of mine would use this oil for his curries," the man explained. It was only less than a few minutes after the curry was finished. "I'll be coming back for sure after that."

Sojiro laughed out loud. "Well tell your friend that he is doing something great with his curry. Great minds think alike it seems."

The man looked up. "You heard that Shinji?" he said to no one in particular with a laugh.

RING RING

"Pardon me," Sojiro said and retreated towards the kitchen.

"What do you mean he's not there? He left early in the morning."

"..."

"Yes ma'am. I'll be sure to talk to him once he gets home."

"..."

"I understand. Sorry to cause you any trouble."

A large sigh escaped his lungs after placing the phone down. Rubbing his temples, Sojiro groaned in frustration. He cursed inwardly at boy he took in. It was only the first day and the boy had already missed half his classes. It was as if the boy wanted to be expelled immediately. Sojiro had to wonder what other kind of trouble that boy would be in.

"That boy is nothing but trouble to me," he muttered.

The man raised an eyebrow at the comment. "Teenager problems?"

Sojiro nodded and sighed. "The boy's been sent here for a criminal offense," he explained. "Although I shouldn't really be saying that to someone I've just met."

"A troublemaker of some sort?" the man inquired with a laugh. Relishing the last bit of the curry, he leaned into the countertop. "I remember my youth and all our shenanigans."

"Of some sort, yes," Sojiro replied. "He seems a good kid that got caught into some bad shit, to me at least."

"He'll come around," the man commented.

"I hope so."

A brief moment of silence fell between the two.

The rain has slowed down to a drizzle and other customers started to trickle in. Kept busy, Sojiro was left taking orders. The smell of roasted coffee beans took over the cafe, much to the delight of the customers. A sudden rush of customers proved to be too much for Sojiro. After the rush had died down, finished plates were strewn over the tables. Much to his surprise, the man stood up and started taking finished plates from other customers and placed it near the kitchen.

"Out of habit," the man said with a sheepish smile, "my apologies."

Sojiro was delighted. "Oh no, that was very helpful. Thank you. It's nice to see young men cleaning up after themselves without being told so."

The man smiled and sat down again at the counter. "It was literally and figuratively beaten into me," he replied, laughing to himself.

"Sojiro Sakura, the owner of this place," Sojiro introduced himself and extended his hand towards the man.

"Akihiko Sanada."

"So what brings you to Tokyo?" Sojiro inquired. He wiped the tabletops and counter clean, chatting with Akihiko throughout.

"I've just got a job at the Tokyo Police Department actually," Akihiko explained. "I've been travelling all around and I think it's time to settle down."

"The police department huh?" Sojiro said between wipes.

Akihiko nodded and placed a 1000 yen bill on the counter. "I'll do what I can to keep these streets safe."

Sojiro let out a laugh. "Such conviction," he commented. "I'll be looking forward to those safe streets Officer."

Putting on his trenchcoat, Akihiko bowed at the owner. "I'll be going now, sir. Thank you for the meal."

"Come again."

The rain had stopped entirely when he left the cafe. Akihiko trudged on the damp streets of Yongen-Jaya, familiarizing himself with his surroundings. The bath house seemed homely and the laundromat had fair prices, taking note of the vending machine that carried one of his favourite drinks. Turning right, a second hand shop ran by a kind old man got his attention. It carried old weights he figured he could use for the time being before his equipment arrived. He passed a small diner and a clinic as well but he did not bother investigating more. He was delighted the convenience store carried his brand of protein shakes as well.

"Hm…?"

Something inside him shifted and he quickly turned around to see a boy walking a few meters back. The boy had shaggy black hair and glasses covering his face. Hands in his pockets, he quickly turned towards the corner into Cafe LeBlanc. Akihiko's gaze lingered where he saw the boy last before turning around and opening his phone to a certain contact.

"Persona…" Akihiko muttered and pressed call.

* * *

 **Author's Note: I've struggled writing dramatic and emotional chapters for Disposition for the longest time so it's really in hiatus even though I've written 4 more chapters on it. Just... doesn't really deliver what I want you know? Anyways, I hope this story piques your interest as this really flows much easier for me and I have a lot planned for this story. Thank you for reading!**


	2. April 13 2016 Wednesday

**SIX DEGREES OF SEPARATION**

* * *

 **4/13 Morning**

"...And finally, your desk, Sanada-san," the pleasant tour guide finished.

Ahikiho stared at the small cubicle with hesitancy. Hidden away at the corner of the fifth floor, the few square feet relegated to him oozed nothing but despair. Grey blue walls coupled with an uneven desk, the cubicle was situated away from any sunlight. The chair, rickety and squeaky, had its foam chipped away over the years. Although he knew from the beginning he would be entering a department strapped for cash, the sad sight of his cubicle had definitely put a damper to his mood. Slouching his shoulders, he sighed and placed his shoulder bag onto the desk.

"Um… Thank you."

"Is there anything else you'd like to ask?" the tour guide inquired, impervious to his obvious depression.

"I think I'll be fine from here on out," he replied with a half smile.

The tour guide bowed before turning around. Left to his thoughts, Akihiko leaned back into his chair, careful to apply his weight gradually, and closed his eyes. His mind wandered to the events a few days ago, the familiar feeling unable to leave his thoughts. He had called Mitsuru soon after the incident. Explaining the familiar feeling of a Persona he felt, she was quick to arrange a dispatch another member of the Shadow Operatives for support.

His lips formed into a sly grin, excited over the thought of fighting once more. He had spent four years studying after all without break underneath Mitsuru's watch. Perhaps he would even pull out the very gloves he used years ago to relive a bit of the glory days. He would need to restructure his training regimen as well.

Akihiko shook his head and opened his eyes. He'll have time for his thoughts later. For now, the task in hand was to set up his office.

It was about an hour until Akihiko was satisfied at his set up. Twice he had rearranged the entirety of his little office, settling on a suitable layout similar back when he was still in high school. He smiled to himself with glee, the cramped cubicle now emanating a homely vibe.

"Yo! New guy," a voice called out from down the aisle. "Meeting in five! You know where the meeting room is right?"

Akihiko nodded in confirmation before turning back to his desk. He grabbed his phone from his pocket and took a photo of his accomplishment.

 _ **[9:06] Akihiko:**_ _Look at my desk! Miss you!_

 _ **[9:06] Mitsuru:**_ _Get off your phone and go back to work._

 _ **[9:09] Mitsuru:**_ …

 _ **[9:09] Mitsuru:**_ _Miss you too._

 _ **[9:10] Mitsuru:**_ _Dork._

Akihiko chuckled at her disjointed display of affection before pocketing his phone. Grabbing his notebook and pen, he made his way towards the meeting room.

The meeting room was chaotic once he got there. Murmurs bounced around the room, unaware of their volume. The whiteboard at the front of the room was full of what he guessed was information on a few recent incidents he had heard about. Akihiko looked around and saw a seat next to a woman with steel grey hair wearing a suit. Zigzagging between employees, he placed his notebook and pen on the table before taking a seat.

The woman turned to him.

"Sae Niijima," she told him.

"Akihiko Sanada," he replied. "I'm a new employee."

"I see."

"...Uh, how's it going?"

She turned and gave Akihiko a look. The woman, Sae, was a serious woman, Akihiko concluded. An air of something akin to regality hung around her and Akihiko knew at that moment why the seat was empty. Regardless, he leaned back onto his seat to get comfortable before opening his notebook to a blank page.

The chief soon entered the room, silencing the chorus of murmurs earlier. Akihiko listened attentively at the debriefing for each case.

"Settle down," the chief started.

"Naoki Urusawa. Young male in his twenties. Suspect of a hit and run causing the death of a gas attendant and a mother of two during the suspect's getaway. The little shit has fled to countryside before his trial but he has some relatives here still in Tokyo so I want you guys to locate him."

The chief passed the file to a group of officers towards the front. Afterwards, he took another file from the stack on the desk and opened it.

"Second one's a bit vague," he continued. "A string of psychotic breakdowns' been happening all over the city and there's been no correlation or cause to this."

"If I may intrude," the woman, Sae, spoke up, "this case is at the top priority as of this moment. I ask you all for your cooperation in solving this case and those in charge of this case report to me please."

A series of murmurs erupted across the room.

"Shit, this serious that they brought out this chick?"

"Ah fuck, here we go again."

"I don't understand why this is a big deal."

Sae turned around at the comment and glared at the officer. She stood up, walking slowly to the man. The tapping of her heels could be heard from across the room before she stopped right in front of the man. Akihiko let out a sigh, preparing himself for the incoming onslaught.

"32 people are dead because of this. Are you not the police force tasked to keep this city safe?" she spoke calmly, a sense of dread building in each word. "What do you have to say to that? Or are you busy pampering yourself with mundane cases that even children could handle?"

The man choked as the room fell silent. He broke into a cold sweat as she stared directly into his eyes, unable to look away in fear.

The chief cleared his throat, as if starting time once again. "As Ms. Niijima has pointed out, those appointed must report to her. Ms. Niijima if you make take a seat."

She turned around, not sparing a single look at the terrified man, and sat once more beside Akihiko.

"Now, onto the third case…"

The meeting lasted for an hour without any more incidents. Tucking the manila folder underneath his arms, Akihiko stood up and made his way back to his desk. He glanced to his right, taking note of the man Sae had confronted. Head low and shoulders hunched, the man had definitely lost confidence. Akihiko couldn't resist a chuckle before exiting the meeting room.

Once he returned to his desk, he placed the manila folder on top of his laptop. Checking his phone, the notification of an unread message popped open. Akihiko shook his head before pocketing his phone again. For now, he was to do work. He opened the manila folder and carefully spread the documents onto his desk.

"Drug Trafficking in Shibuya…" he started reading.

 **4/13 After School**

Makoto Niijima sat down at the student council room after a particularly long day. She let out a long sigh, relishing the few moments she had to herself. The school was lively, rumors already spreading on the new transfer student that came in late yesterday with a resident troublemaker. The principal had doubled down in giving orders to her, complicating her schedule for studying. The volleyball assembly was another matter but at least she was only organizing and not attending.

"Ugh… do it for the letter, Makoto," she told herself. Her goal was simple and she was determined to get it.

"Oh! Should check my email first just in case," she thought out loud. Often the start of a semester came with an influx of emails from parents, sponsors, or other schools.

Taking out the small laptop from her bag, she pressed the on button and waited for the familiar jingle of the computer's software.

"Fundraising… Club formation requests… Spam… Huh…" Makoto stopped at a particular email.

"Gekkoukan & Shujin Transfer Program," she read the email title out loud.

"To Ms. Niijima," she started reading, "we are emailing you today about the transfer student program our administration has discussed with Principal Kobayakawa earlier last year. Attached is the copy of the memorandum and we ask that you review this with your student council and Principal Kobayakawa. Best regards, Gekkoukan Administration."

Makoto raised an eyebrow at the email. It was the first time she had heard of the program but it surely was interesting. She scrolled back to the top and forwarded the email to her fellow student council members.

"Ugh," she groaned, "I'm getting distracted."

Makoto closed the laptop and took out her calculus textbook.

"Let's get started!"

* * *

 **Author's Note: Uh... yeah... fuck final exams.**


	3. April 15 2016 Friday

**SIX DEGREES OF SEPARATION**

* * *

 **4/15 Morning**

The police car's tire squeaked to a stop in front of Shujin Academy. An ambulance was parked at the entrance, the emergency response team already in full action. A stretcher was already laid out, and he could see the other members grabbing other supplies from the back. Akihiko exited his car and ran towards the ambulance.

"Officer Sanada reporting in," he yelled above the siren. The paramedic nodded in response and beckoned him to follow, rushing towards the entrance of the school.

" _She jumped from the roof?!"_

" _What the fuck?!"_

" _Someone tried to commit suicide!"_

Akihiko waded through the mass of students, quickly grasping the situation. He saw a pair of students crying at the corner and another student on his knees, shellshocked. A teacher was in the middle of the congregation, desperate to try and calm the growing body of students. He gritted his teeth, anxious to get to the scene.

"Officer!" a paramedic yelled out from the crowd.

Akihiko looked back to the man and nodded in confirmation, knowing what to do without a word.

"Everyone! Step aside to let us through!"

His voice was commanding, easily heard by everyone. It took a second for the students to process his words but they soon shuffled awkwardly towards the side.

Finally squeezing through the masses, he saw a girl lying on the ground. Her leg was twisted, sticking in an angle that made even Akihiko wince. He saw both knees, bloody and skin torn apart. Blood pooled around her, the surrounding grass slowly growing crimson.

The girl suddenly gasped in pain. She was alive.

"Fuck!" Akihiko swore underneath his breath.

He ran as fast he could towards her. Sliding to his knees, he fought with himself not to touch her, lest he worsen a potential spine or neck injury. She was barely conscious. Barely alive. It would do. Her breath was ragged, and he could hear the pain in each breath she took.

"Fuck, don't die on me here kid," he whispered to the girl.

Her eyes slowly opened, tears quickly running.

"I… couldn't…" she called out, her voice weak and frail. She sobbed quietly.

"Everything's okay now," he gently whispered. "We're here."

He moved away as soon as he felt the presence of the paramedics behind him. They laid the stretcher beside her, proceeding to transfer her with as little movement as possible. A man placed a flashlight onto her eyes to evaluate her responsiveness, satisfied at the results. Their skilled hands made quick work, placing her onto the stretcher while maintaining consciousness.

Akihiko's gaze lingered at the poor girl for a few more seconds before turning around, placing his trust on the medical team. He extended his arms, herding the students away from the scene.

"Please follow your teachers and return to your-"

"We need someone to go with her…" a paramedic called out behind him, "Are there any teachers around?"

Akihiko looked at the school body, a feeling of rage building up as they simply murmured with each other. He clenched his fist in frustration, seeing students videotaping the entire incident.

"What the hell's wrong with these people?!" he cursed inwardly.

"I'll go!" A voice called out.

Akihiko's eyes darted to a blonde girl at the front. He turned towards the paramedic for confirmation. The paramedic gave a nod and Akihiko let his arm down, letting the girl pass through.

"Please hurry!"

The blonde girl collapsed beside the stretcher, tears flowing down her eyes.

"..."

"No… Shiho?!"

"She lost consciousness!" a paramedic called out to another.

"Let's go! Let's go!"

Akihiko gritted his teeth at the dumbfounded students and teachers. A teacher stepped forward, desperate in trying to calm the student body.

"...?!"

Akihiko's fist tightened as he locked eyes with a student from the crowd. It was the black-haired boy from before. He watched the boy exchange words with another before nodding and running full speed towards the right. He gritted his teeth once more, his leg bouncing in anticipation. He needed to confirm his suspicions.

"Dammit!" He swore.

The students at the front of the crowd recoiled back at his sudden outburst but he couldn't care less. Frustration built up inside him, anxious in being stuck as a human wall.

"Teachers, return to your classrooms for the time being! Please do not let any students go home yet!"

Whispers erupted even more but was quickly silenced by another teaching yelling. He sighed in relief as the students slowly shuffled their way to the building. Helping a brunette teacher herd the group, it took a few minutes to disperse the crowd towards their respective classrooms.

"Thank you Officer," the teacher said.

"A troublemaker transfer student and now this? Will this school ever be quiet?" she whispered woefully to herself.

Akihiko watched as she covered her face with her sleeves, feeling the fatigue emanating from her.

"Excuse me, ma'am," he quietly interrupted her, "Can you point me to principal's office?"

"Oh…! S-sure! Uh so you turn lef-"

"That son of a bitch!"

A voice screamed from across the hall, surprising Akihiko. He looked at the direction of the voice and saw the black-haired boy running down the hall before disappearing in the crowd of students. He cursed inwardly, determined to catch up to the boy this time.

"Jeez… Sakamoto…" the teacher ruefully said. "Anyways, you turn to your lef-"

"Thank you," Akihiko interrupted her before running towards where he last saw the black-haired boy.

The teacher sighed once more before closing the classroom door. She was too tired to even try and call out to the police officer.

Akihiko weaved his way through the crowd of students, eyes darting for any sign of the boy. He rounded a corner and stopped, unsure of where to go next. Several students stared at him, curious to what he was doing. He swore, regretting not listening to the teacher. He was completely lost. Picking a random direction, he continued on before reaching another intersection.

"Dammit!"

"Excuse me? Are you perhaps looking for the principal's office?" A student called out to him.

He turned towards a short-haired girl standing a few feet away from him, her uniform different from everyone else's around her. She smiled at him and bowed respectfully before introducing herself.

"Makoto Niijima, student council president," she said. "Can I help you, Officer?

"I… uh… yes," he simply replied, too flustered from running everywhere to form a coherent sentence.

"If you're looking for the principal's office, please follow me," the girl, Makoto, said before turning around.

Akihiko, too embarrassed, simply placed his hands into his pockets and followed her to the principal's office.

He groaned in defeat, giving up for today to catch the black-haired boy.

His mind wandered back to the poor girl on the ground earlier, her soft voice crying out in pain. The girl had tried to end her own life. A wave of guilt struck him, stopping him in his tracks. Akihiko's fist tightened and he shook his head free from any thoughts of the black-haired boy. That matter would have to wait. For now, his duty as a police officer was calling him.

"No, I've changed. Focus Akihiko, focus."

Entering the principal's office, the girl placed a stack of papers onto a nearby desk.

"Principal Kobayakawa, I've left all the documents you've asked for on the desk. I'll be taking my leave now." The girl bowed respectfully once more before exiting the room.

Alone with the principal, he grabbed his notebook from his chest pocket and faced him with determination.

"Hello," he started, "I would like to ask a few questions regarding the girl's suicide attempt."

The principal was visibly taken aback. "H-huh? I assure you that this place is a safe place dedicated to learning. A-a suicide attempt!? I-in this prestigious school!?"

His eyes locked with the principal's, a rage burning inside of him at the blatant feigned ignorance. Sweat poured from the principal's bald head as Akihiko slowly walked towards his desk, stopping only inches away.

"With all due respect," his voice grew low, "we all know what that poor girl tried to do, Principal Kobayakawa."

 **4/15 Afternoon**

Akihiko placed his notebook back onto his chest pocket as he exited the school. The sun was still high in the sky, the clouds disappearing as the day progressed. Going down the steps of the main gate, he let out a sigh. His shoulders slumped and his posture slackened. It had already been a long day and the thought of the report he was surely be required to write made it even longer.

His stomach groaned and only then did he realized how hungry he was. Rubbing his stomach, he slowly made his way to the car. Opening the car door, he slid into the driver's seat and started the engine.

The principal knew, Akihiko concluded. The man had dodged questions as much as he could, barring only those that could paint his prestigious school a good image. The very thought sickened him. He let out a groan, clutching his head. What was happening inside the school? What was the cause of the attempted suicide? Sexual harassment? From whom? For how long? Multiple victims? Her parents? Pressure of success?

"Urgh!" Akihiko yelled in frustration. "I don't know how Mitsuru could stay calm after things like that!

Laying his head on the steering wheel, he took a moment to regain his composure. No one had died. Akihiko was thankful for that. He smiled wryly, reflecting on past events.

"Yeah, at least no one died…"

He stared at the roof of his car, the silence of the car gradually draining leftover adrenaline.

"I should get back to the station."

His stomach growled once more.

"Maybe after I head to LeBlanc…"

 **4/15 Evening**

Sojiro heard the familiar jingle of LeBlanc's front door. _Odd,_ he thought. All his regular customers had already left and the cafe was about to close. Dropping the half washed batch of dishes, he wiped his hands clean of soap and made his way towards the counter.

A kind-looking woman stood at the entrance, examining his cafe with curious eyes. His eyes were automatically drawn to her hair, an unusual color of tea. She wore a simple loose dress, an odd choice for the month's cold weather. She turned to Sojiro and gave a heartwarming smile before sauntering to the barstool.

"Hi, I hope I'm not intruding," the woman's voice was soft and quiet, "but it seems I may have been locked out. It was quite cold out there." The woman shivered as a strong wind blew against the front door.

"Hm? No worries," Sojiro said. He eyed the girl for a moment. "Haven't seen you here before. Are you new?"

The girl nodded in response. "I've just moved here but it seems Akihiko-san isn't home yet," she explained, putting on a pout. "He wasn't answering his phone too…"

Sojiro's eyes softened and grinned. "Sanada-san, eh?" he mused.

"Oh, you know him?" she asked curiously.

"He's also new around here but he's an upstanding citizen," Sojiro commented, leaning on the back counter. "Came here this afternoon actually."

Sojiro stood up and grabbed his apron once more, walking towards the wall of coffee beans. "My apologies. What'll it be? It's on the house."

The woman gasped and shook her head. "Oh no no, that's fine. I'll pay."

Sojiro let out a laugh. "Think of it as a welcoming present to you and Sanada-san."

The woman contemplated for a moment before nodding to herself. "Alright, would you happen to have Jamaican Blue Mountain?"

Sojiro's eyes widened in delight at her order. He smiled and grabbed the ingredients necessary off of the wall, making small talk to the woman as he worked. The sweet aroma took over the quiet cafe.

"Still, didn't think Sanada-san would already be married to a charming lady," he commented as he placed a steamy cup of coffee in front of the woman. "Someone who knows their coffee nonetheless!"

"Oh! No no, I'm only staying with him. He was an old senpai of mine back in highschool," she explained to him. The woman giggled before leaning in towards Sojiro.

"I think he's actually trying to propose to his girlfriend," the woman whispered to Sojiro.

"Is that so?" Sojiro commented with a sly grin.

The woman nodded and laughed. A few minutes passed in comfortable silence as the woman drank her coffee. Sojiro had returned back to washing dishes, leaving the woman alone at the counter.

"This is a fairly old phone," the woman suddenly said. She was eyeing the yellow rotary dial phone on the counter with interest.

"Hm? Oh yeah, that. It's not used much but it comes in handy sometimes," he commented without turning his head away from the dishes.

A loud buzz caught Sojiro's attention. Turning around, he saw the woman place the yellow phone back to its usual spot before grabbing her smartphone from her purse

"Hm…?"

"..."

"Oh! You're almost there? Alright, I'll start walking over."

She placed the smartphone back into her purse and stood up before neatly placing a few coins on the table.

"Hm? Oh?"

The woman gave the same heartwarming smile at Sojiro, bowing in gratitude as she pushed the barstool back into the counter. "I know you said it was on the house but it doesn't seem right after you've let me stay after closing," she explained.

Sojiro laughed and placed a hand on his hip, enamoured at the kindness and generosity of the girl. "Well, thank you. I hope to see you soon."

The girl bowed once more before exiting the cafe, the familiar jingle of the front door once more ringing across the empty cafe.

"What a nice lady," he commented before grabbing her empty cup from the counter. He whistled a tune to himself as he continued his work.

Outside, the woman walked until she was far enough from the cafe to open her smartphone once more. She took out a pair of headphones from her purse, only bothering in putting one earbud on. She rounded the intersection and turned right where Akihiko stood waiting.

"Good job Fuuka," he congratulated the woman. "But did you really have to say that about me proposing to Mitsuru?"

The woman, Fuuka, laughed to herself.

"The entire group knows why you're here in Tokyo in the first place, Akihiko-senpai," she teased as she listened to the whistles of the owner of the cafe from her phone.

* * *

 **Author's Note: Fuuka is, hands down, best girl in Persona 3. Not as Minato's lover but overall. I love what she became in Persona 4 Arena. Anyways, as you can tell, I go through the story by day. So some chapters will have little while some chapters will have tons of things happening. Thank you for reading! 1. MORE. FUCKING. EXAM.**


	4. April 17 2016 Sunday

**SIX DEGREES OF SEPARATION**

* * *

 **4/17 Early Morning**

A few houses away from LeBlanc, Fuuka worked on the couch of their newly leased apartment, listening in on the cafe. She had barely unpacked, her luggage unopened in the corner of the room she would be staying in. The apartment wasn't shabby either, the layout reminded her of the Iwatodai dormitory she had spent two years in. She couldn't complain as well, her portion of the rent being subsidized by Kirijo Group.

Speaking of the Kirijo Group, although she was never an official member of the Shadow Operatives, the simple fact remained that she had support capabilities like no other. Mitsuru was always in the frontlines of Shadow Operatives missions, leaving her usually called in for the support role. It wasn't that she minded though. She was happy that she could help. This saved Rise, another unofficial member of the Shadow Operatives, from being requested too and having to work it into her busy life of acting and modelling.

Her train of thought came to a halt as Akihiko entered the living room.

"Any new info?" he asked her before taking a bowl from one of the cupboards and pouring himself a hefty amount of cereal.

Fuuka shook her head. "Nothing yet. I've only installed the bug last night and it's 5am in the morning after all so I doubt they're awake," she told him.

Akihiko let out a sigh. "Man… another Persona user…" he said to himself. "Have you gotten anything from his Persona?"

Fuuka nodded. "The presence of his Persona is still relatively weak. Juno couldn't find anything else. It's safe to assume-"

"He's just awakened to it," Akihiko finished her sentence.

Fuuka nodded once more before her eyebrows scrunched in thought. "But… there is something weird…" she trailed on before standing up. She placed the laptop onto the dining table and pointed at a map currently on the screen. It was a map of Yongen-Jaya.

She pointed at two green dots close together. "That's us," Fuuka explained. "We're green, meaning Juno has identified us already. Red means either a shadow or something she's not sure of."

Her hand moved a few inches to where Cafe LeBlanc was located. Expecting to see a singular red dot, Akihiko was shocked to see two.

"H-huh…!? There's two!?"

"Yeah…" her voice grew silent. "This means there are other Persona users other than this boy."

The two stared at the screen for a few moments, waiting for any sign of movement from the two. Akihiko sighed, finishing his bowl of cereal before putting his jacket on.

"I'll be going to work now. I think Mitsuru wants a quick progress report soon."

Fuuka nodded before she moved back to the couch. The sound of the apartment door opening and shutting rung throughout the quiet apartment.

Her phone buzzed, signalling she had gotten a message.

 _ **[5:03] Akihiko:**_ _You should also try leblanc's curry. Tastes like shinji's curry._

A smile crept up on Fuuka's face, making a mental note to visit the cafe today.

Finally alone, Fuuka homed in on the two red dots, curious on the close proximity between the two. Both Personas were elusive, barely detectable under Juno's surveillance. A tiny part of her heart was annoyed at the two for making her work hard but she couldn't complain. At least she had found them.

Fuuka's ears perked up at the sound of LeBlanc's bell. Her breathing slowly came to a stop, the sound of shuffling from LeBlanc the only source of sound in the apartment. The whistle of the owner was heard as he readied the cafe for the day. The sound of scrunching plastic bags came after before something hard was placed on the countertop.

" _I hope the cat likes this brand. He is picky though…"_ said the owner with his gruff voice.

"Oh they have a cat!" Fuuka said in delight.

" _Man… chief bought expensive cat food…"_

Fuuka's ears perked up at the boyish voice. Was there another person in the cafe? She turned up the volume to hear quiet footsteps approaching.

" _Good morning Mona,"_ she heard the owner say.

" _Nyaha, he pets me too much! But it's sooooo good."_

"T-the cat…!? H-huh…!?"

 **4/17 Morning**

Fuuka gently placed her purse on the desk in front of her, letting out a sigh.

Starting tomorrow, she would be a teacher of Shujin Academy. It had been entirely coincidental that their target this time would also be a student of the school. With the help of a the Kirijo Group's influence, a few strings were pulled for her to obtain this job. Although she wouldn't say to Mitsuru, the thought of receiving a job in fairly shady methods didn't sit well with her. Still, she couldn't complain as this was the perfect position to get more information of his Persona.

"Have you gotten familiar with the layout yet?" A voice spoke behind her.

Fuuka turned around to a woman in her mid-twenties. Sadayo Kawakami was her name if she remembered correctly. The woman was obviously overworked, large bags forming underneath her eyes.

"You look really tired…" Fuuka commented.

Sadayo let out a nervous laugh. "Don't worry, the school won't overwork you," she reassured her.

Fuuka nodded before she started to unpack. Sadayo had retreated towards her own desk, seemingly busy marking a few piles of work. Fuuka cringed at the sight, dreading the work forced upon her by the sudden request of the Shadow Operatives. The only saving grace was that her class was home economics, a fairly straightforward course. The marking she had to do would be limited by in-class assessments and the occasional sheet.

Fuuka shook her head, clearing her thoughts. " _This job is nothing compared to what we've gone through,"_ she thought to herself.

Her phone buzzed, stopping her train of thought.

 _ **[9:56] Mitsuru:**_ _I have sneaking suspicions that this "cat" may be something similar to Teddie. Can you find out more information today?_

Fuuka's mind wandered back to the Persona wielding shadow from Inaba. The possibility of it being the case was certainly high. A shadow living in the human world was not a new concept.

 _ **[9:57] Fuuka:**_ _I'll try today. I'll keep you posted._

 _ **[9:57] Mitsuru:**_ _Thank you. Keep up the good work._

Fuuka placed her phone back onto her purse before looking at the empty desk in front of her. Some unpacking needed to be done.

 **4/17 Afternoon**

After unpacking and setting up her table, Fuuka had invited Sadayo out for lunch. Although the woman refused the first time, the promise of cheap and amazing curry had lured the woman out of her work.

The familiar jingle of LeBlanc's front door rang. The sunny weather had attracted a large number of customers today and it took a while before they were able to be seated.

The owner smiled and nodded at Fuuka as they sat down. "I'm guessing Sanada-san wanted you to try the curry," he told them with a laugh. He returned with two glasses of water before making his way towards the kitchen.

"Oh, I'm so excited!" Sadayo said in glee. "I rarely eat out and it's so nice to have someone close to my age."

Sadayo put on a pout. "All the other teachers are old geezers and Kamoshida seems like a prick." Her voice grew cold and menacing. Fuuka could only watch and listen to the woman.

"They dumped this kid with a criminal record onto me too! Like… What the hell Kobayakawa!?" Sadayo ranted on about her situation.

"I heard there's gonna be another transfer student soon too but this time I think it's from a prestigious school. You're so lucky you get the good transfer student."

The woman's eyes cast downwards, taking a sip of water. A sigh escaped her lips before she collapsed onto the table.

"I'm so tired…"

Fuuka stared at the woman in concern, unsure of what course of action she should take. Sadayo placed her head down onto the desk and closed her eyes. After a few minutes, the sound of her light breathing was heard. She had fallen asleep.

"Uh… she's out cold…" Fuuka chuckled at her new co worker's antics. The woman was definitely an interesting one, she concluded.

"Here's your order," the owner called out as he walked with two plates of steaming hot food. The aroma of the curry was overwhelming. Fuuka's mouth started to water as the curry was placed in front of her. The sauce was almost glistening, enveloping the neatly formed rice. The scent of spices and onion wafted towards her and her stomach growled in anticipation.

"Oh! It's here!" Sadayo woke up from her small nap and stared at the plate in front of her with awe. "Oh my God this looks amazing!" she exclaimed and stood up.

"I'm gonna wash my hands real quick! Don't start without me!" Sadayo called out as she jogged towards the washroom at the back of the cafe.

Fuuka stared at the curry, slightly cursing Sadayo for making her wait.

The jingle of LeBlanc's bell sounded again. Fuuka's ears perked up as a familiar feeling once again surfaced. In front of the cafe was the black haired boy that had eluded Akihiko. Her head started spinning as the intensity of information that Juno had started processing suddenly increased.

"Ugh… Arsene… Weak to ice and bless… strong with curse…" she groaned out, scribbling the influx of information onto a napkin.

"No… Zorro… weak to electricity and strong with wind. Ugh… I didn't expect this," she groaned out once more, clutching her head in pain. It had been a while since she was caught off guard, Juno's skills requiring concentration and resolve. Thankfully, no customer paid her any attention.

"Ahh, home," a voice called out behind the boy.

Fuuka couldn't suppress a gasp as she saw the cat inside the bag the boy was carrying. " _The cat really does talk…"_ she thought, making a mental note of contacting Mitsuru soon about the cat's Persona.

"Oh, Akira, you're back," the owner greeted the boy. "You really need to keep the cat in that bag…?"

Fuuka's gaze was fixed upon the boy, Akira, as he walked towards the back of the cafe and up the stairs.

"Akira…" she repeated his name.

Sadayo exited the washroom and walked towards their table. She looked at Fuuka's troubled face and sat down with worry.

"Is everything okay? I didn't scare you of your new job did I…?" she asked in concern.

Fuuka gave a faint smile towards Sadayo and took the spoon beside her.

"I just can't believe you made me wait to eat this!" She joked.

Sadayo laughed and grabber her spoon as well.

"Alright! Let's dig in!"

* * *

 **Author's Note: I partied too hard after finals that my hungover adventure could be part of the Hangover series. Anyways, enjoy chapter 4 and thank you for waiting for me to recover. Thank you all for the reviews! My only response is just wait for things to fall into play :D like... Perhaps someone else getting the Nav...?**


	5. April 18 2016 Monday

**SIX DEGREES OF SEPARATION**

* * *

 **4/18 Early Morning**

Fuuka had only been able to sleep for a few hours when the loud buzz from her phone woke her up. Stumbling through the dark, she reached for her phone on the desk beside her bed and opened to her messages.

 _ **[3:24] Sadayo:**_ _Yamagishi-san! I just realized… the cafe we went to… . The owner is the guardian of the criminal transfer student! Be careful D: \3_

" _No shit, I know that already,"_ she cursed out loud, groggy from the few hours of sleep.

Fuuka looked at her open laptop, remembering her report for Mitsuru was still only half done. Although Mitsuru was lenient when it came to Shadow Operatives reports, Fuuka had set a personal goal to get a report handed in by tomorrow.

She opened her instant messenger app and typed a reply to Sadayo.

 _ **[3:27] Fuuka:**_ _The curry was worth it though… :)_

 _ **[3:27] Sadayo:**_ _Okay true… see you on your first day!_

Fuuka placed her phone down and took a seat in front of her laptop. The report was only half done, the persona attributes of the two and their history still needing to be inputted.

It was quite peculiar to her, the history of the two personas as being elusive, morally ambiguous outlaws. A gentleman thief was perhaps the right word, Fuuka thought. It explained why Juno herself was even struggling to gain any semblance of information from afar. It was oddly comforting too, the attributes of the personas being familiar ones that she had encountered. She had heard from Mitsuru that they've also discovered a few more attributes never before seen like nuclear and psychic from other Shadow Operatives missions. At least it was in her bounds.

Fuuka stared at the clock by her bedside table. 3:45am, a few more hours until she had to go to work. A sigh escaped her lips, dreading the first day of work.

 _ **[New Entity Found] Persona Detected: Review for Confirmation**_

The bold red warning shone against the cool blue motif of her program.

"H-huh!?"

Fuuka scrambled to her laptop and centered her map in Cafe LeBlanc, only seeing the two green dots from before. She couldn't help but raise an eyebrow. Zooming out of Cafe LeBlanc, the kilometer radius of Juno's detection only showing hers, Akihiko's, and the two other personas. If only she was connected to a physical framework like Juno was back in Iwatodai. She made a mental note to ask Mitsuru to pull a few strings once more to get her access to a framework to expand her detection skills.

Focusing back on the four personas, Fuuka was lost. The warning was still showing at the corner of the screen, indicating she had not address the new persona in the map. "Where the hell are you…?" She bitterly cursed, frustration building up. She was sure that she had debugged her program completely, the program being a cornerstone in Shadow Operatives missions. How were these persona users eluding her!?

 _ **[New Entity Missed]**_

The warning had been replaced by a green pop-up. Whatever new entity that had shown up was now gone.

 _ **[New Entity Found] Persona Detected: Review for Confirmation**_

"Gah! What the hell!?" She cursed loudly, instantly pulling back in case Akihiko was still asleep.

"That's not even possible!" she vented to the laptop. "You're telling me that you found a new persona, lost it, then found it again!? I swear I fixed all the bugs in this thing!"

Fuuka collapsed onto the desk, already feeling tired from what had happened. She looked up to the screen, seeing the warning once again.

 _ **[New Entity Missed]**_

 _ **[New Entity Found] Persona Detected: Review for Confirmation**_

 _ **[New Entity Missed]**_

 _ **[New Entity Found] Persona Detected: Review for Confirmation**_

Fuuka couldn't help but choke out a sob. "I guess I'll have to debug you again…" she wept to herself before standing up and grabbing herself a cup of coffee. Caffeine and coding was synonymous by this point to her.

 **4/18 Early Morning**

"..."

"Hello… what's your name?"

"..."

"Woof woof to you too…?"

Makoto Niijima was faced with a conundrum.

She had originally planned to get to school early to prepare for another transfer student but the school gate was currently blocked by a fairly large dog. It stared at her with red eyes, it's snow white fur only making its eyes seen darker.

It wasn't the first time Makoto had encountered an animal on her way to school but it was definitely the first time she had a staring contest with one. The dog was winning, much to her chagrin.

"What!? You want to fight!?" she yelled at it, getting into a fighting stance. "I know aikido you know!"

"..."

The dog did not move an inch, content with just staring at her with its blood red eyes. Makoto let out a sigh, dropping her fists before walking towards the gate to unlock it.

"What am I even doing…" she said to herself.

"Something quite entertaining," a voice called out behind her.

"H-huh!?" Makoto stuttered as she turned around.

Behind her was a student dressed in the Shujin Academy uniform. The student smiled at Makoto, her face quickly turning red from embarrassment.

"Were you messing with her, Koro-san?" The student asked.

The dog suddenly stood up and sauntered over to the student, resting its head on his shoes. The student bent down, petting the dog. Makoto was lost, unsure of what she was looking at. The student noticed and stood up.

"Sorry, I just grabbed some breakfast for Koro-san," he said to her. Makoto noticed the plastic bag on his right full of food for the dog that was patiently waiting. The student placed the plastic bag down in front of the dog and opened up a can of dog food.

"Sorry about that, took a while til I found a store with the one you like," he spoke to the dog, petting him.

"Uhm… are you…" Makoto interrupted the moment.

The student nodded and walked over to her. "Vice President of Gekkoukan High School, the transfer student. Makoto Niijima, student council president?"

Makoto could only nod in response.

"I'm Ken. Ken Amada," he introduced himself before turning towards the dog munching on its food. "This is Koromaru. He likes to come with me wherever I go."

The dog gave Makoto a look of curiosity before going back to its food.

"He… uh…"

"I'm not bringing him into the school, he likes to just wander around," he finished her sentenced, reassuring her. "I'm assuming you came here early to prepare for me?"

Makoto nodded once more, overcoming the odd first impression. " _I guess he is from an elite school,"_ she thought.

"I'll meet you once I'm done school," he said and ruffled the dog's fur. "Stay safe out there buddy."

The dog nodded, surprising Makoto at the close bond between the two. It grabbed the half finished can of food and trotted away into the alleyways.

Opening the school gate, the two of them made their way towards the student council room. Makoto had emailed a map beforehand, following it to give Ken a tour. They made small talk while they roamed the still empty school. She learned that he was an orphan, his mother dying when he was in elementary school. The Kirijo Group was graceful enough to shelter him while he made a name for himself. The dog, Koromaru, was a gift from a senpai that had passed away back when he was young. It warmed her heart, already getting a soft spot for the gentle white beast. He was also the vice president by choice, stepping down from the president position for a girl 3 years younger by the name of Maiko.

It took them under ten minutes before they reach the student council room on the third floor.

"And beside the library is the student council room," she finished the tour, unlocking the student council room.

They entered the room, Makoto going straight towards the small desk at the end of the room. She placed her school bag on one of the chairs before moving to the many binders against the left wall. Ken watched curiously as Makoto expertly navigated the room, taking in the quaint homely aura. He slowly walked to one of the chairs and took a seat.

"So that's it! I sent you your schedule and class number right? Your student number is also at the back of your ID," she rambled on. "Oh, and your homeroom teacher is also new so she should be arriving soon."

Ken could only nod as papers were dropped in front of him, slowly forming a hefty stack.

"Sorry… I was planning to do all of this before you got here," Makoto sheepishly said, rubbing the back of her neck. She took a seat in front of Ken and smiled at him.

"Do you have any questions?" she asked.

Ken nodded. "I'll be a treasurer this time, yes?"

Makoto shook her head and took a folder from the stack. Opening to a certain page, she flipped it over to show Ken. "You'll be replacing the secretary. Our secretary was…" she trailed off, her face darkening suddenly.

Ken raised an eyebrow, curious at the sudden pause. She remained silent for a few more seconds, prompting him not to press further. He took the folder and read the contents. It was his duties, outlining the details of the transfer program. He nodded to himself and closed the folder.

"These are fairly simple tasks," he said to her. "Consider it done." He gave her a reassuring smile, placing the folder back onto her hands.

"Any other questions?" Makoto asked once again.

Ken shook his head and started organizing the stack of papers. Placing it in his bag, he stood up.

"Shall we?" he said to her.

"We shall," she replied back with a smile, already liking the new transfer student. "The new homeroom teacher should be here now. Follow me to the faculty room, please."

They exited the student council room and rounded the corner. Makoto slowly slid the faculty room door open to reveal a woman in her twenties. She sat at the corner of the room, her unusual teal hair shone brightly against the rising sun. Makoto felt a slight tinge of jealousy as the new teacher let her hair down from the braid, the sunlight framing the woman perfectly.

"She's so pretty…" Makoto trailed on as she entered.

The woman looked up from her worksheets, surprised at the entrance of the two.

"Ken…?"

 **4/18 Afternoon**

Akihiko placed the manila folder down and sat back on his newly bought chair. The chair he was supplied with had cracked under his weight a few days ago, prompting him to purchase the latest model from the furniture store down the street. His desk was littered with files from his various cases. He had just finished the report on the attempted suicide in Shujin Academy, finding more evidence of sexual abuse happening in the school. His blood boiled at the thought of the ignorance of the principal, concerned rather about saving face.

An investigation was pending for the academy but the chief had put off the date until the third of May, finding more pressing matters than the case. His case with the drug trafficking had gained no traction, almost to the point of a cold case. No leads or traces, only the effects of the drug trafficking. He thought he had gotten a lead from a red light district fortune teller but it seemed like a cult instead of a mafia ring. Akihiko let out a sigh, feeling defeated.

A buzz took him out of his thoughts. He grabbed his phone and saw that Fuuka was calling.

"Fuuka, how's it going?"

"..."

Akihiko suddenly shot up from his chair. "S-seriously!? He's gonna be at the apartment tonight!?"

 **4/18 Evening**

"So…" Ken started, "I accidentally stumbled upon a Shadow Ops mission." He was leaning against the kitchen counter of Akihiko's apartment, deep in thought.

Fuuka and Akihiko stood around the laptop Mitsuru was currently being broadcasted in. Her face was dark, an aura of seriousness surrounding the room. She slowly nodded.

"You are currently not part of the Shadow Operatives and we have promised not to bring you back until you have graduated high school," the redhead explained solemnly. She paused and looked at Ken, a mix of guilt and sadness evident in her eyes. She had felt responsible after all, the death of his mother and Ken's childhood cut short from his involvement in S.E.E.S. ultimately being her father's fault.

"You know where I'm getting at, right?"

Ken nodded solemnly and stood up, understanding the turmoil inside the Shadow Operatives' leader. "I'll be sure to keep myself and Koro-san away from it."

"We're only telling you this just in case there's conflict in your end," Fuuka said with a soft voice, a sad smile on her face. "We're not sure what we are dealing with at the moment or if they are even aware of us or even how many there are." Fuuka let out a sigh, tired from the day's work.

Akihiko nodded in agreement. "We don't know if there will be any engagement with shadows or rogue persona users as well but take this." He grabbed a briefcase that was behind him and placed it onto Ken's hand. He met eyes with Ken.

Ken raised an eyebrow at the briefcase before placing it back onto the desk. "I still have my own from the TV world."

They heard Mitsuru sigh from the other side of the screen. She grasped her temple in frustration, laughing darkly to herself. "I turn my back on the school for a few weeks and they send the one persona user from Gekkoukan to the school we're monitoring…"

"It's as if it's fate," Ken joked dryly. He crossed his arms and sighed. "I'll contact you guys if anything happens."

"I'll be going now." He bid goodbye to the two, giving Fuuka a hug and a firm handshake to Akihiko. He smiled at the laptop, Mitsuru returning the favour. "Let's have lunch soon Akihiko-senpai?"

Akihiko smiled and patted the teenager's back. "Of course. There's a place where the curry tastes like Shinji's after all."

"I'll look forward to it," Ken replied. He turned to Fuuka after. "I'll… see you tomorrow Fuuka-sensei."

Fuuka couldn't help but cringe at the word. "Ugh… don't remind me. That was awkward that morning," she commented, looking back on the awkward meeting at the faculty room. The student council president was still unaware that the two knew each other, both instinctively acting as if it was their first time meeting.

"Alright," Ken said and made his way towards the door. He stopped in front of it, his head hung low. "If you guys get into trouble, I don't care that I'm not part of Shadow Ops at the moment. Koro-san and I will be there."

All three Shadow Operatives members nodded, knowing well that Ken was serious.

The door slowly came to a close, the tension being relieved. Fuuka let out a breath she didn't know she was holding before shaking her head. Akihiko sighed and took a seat beside the laptop, placing his head on to the desk. Out of all the students from Gekkoukan and all the schools in Tokyo, Ken just had to be transferred to Shujin. It was as if fate itself was playing with them. Akihiko laughed, the possibility of such a thing was pretty high with what they had encountered before. Ken had seen too much, from his mother's death to their dear leader's death and facing the darkest parts of the heart. It made Akihiko sick if they were to drag Ken into the fray of this operation once again.

A moment passed before Mitsuru cleared her throat, breaking the silence.

"So, Fuuka, what were you saying earlier?" Mitsuru started, grabbing a notebook and pen beside her.

"Oh!" Fuuka scrambled up and grabbed a few pages from the messy pile by the dining table.

"Concerning Persona users in Shujin, I found more…"

Outside the apartment, Ken slowly stalked the backstreets of Yongen-Jaya. He turned around and looked at the apartment building, a dark smile dangerously plastered on his face.

"I guess the app really is true," he trailed on, feeling the outline of his own Envoker inside his bag.

He took out his phone, staring at the red icon of the rogue app that appeared on his phone a week ago. He tapped it, opening the user interface of the app.

 _ **Wielder of the Justice Arcana.**_

 _ **Your journey will be solidary, the white beast as your only companion.**_

 _ **Find me, my trump card.**_

The app was simple, it's cryptic message finally decoded with Mitsuru's demands. Ken stared at the app with excitement and fear, his feet tapping in anticipation. The smile turned into a smirk, continuing on his way home.

"Now where did I put Koro-san's evoker …"

* * *

 **Author's note: I'm in the middle of nowhere right now writing underneath a sea of stars. I shit you not. Beautiful but holy crap the humidity here is 80% and I'm from Canada so I'm dying. Updates may be slow as I am currently on vacation. Thank you all for the reviews and don't worry, I have something planned with how the dynamic between P3/P4 and P5 cast will be. The story is called six degrees of separation after all. Also! Outfits! Ken will have a mask! Simple and effective!**


	6. April 19 2016 Tuesday

**SIX DEGREES OF SEPARATION**

* * *

 **4/19 ? Tuesday**

Ken's cautious footsteps echoed loudly through the dark. He wasn't sure when he arrived here or if it was even real but the fact remains he was not back in his dorm. He reached out, finding anything to hold on to. His fingertips bled into the darkness, the feeling giving way to fear of being out in the unknown. His steps grew rhythmic, it's pace gradually increasing until he was running. Panic. He yelled, crying out into the darkness but it only echoed back. Where was he? Why was he here!?

Pitch black.

" _Darkness,"_ a voice spoke. The foreign sound stopped him in his tracks.

"Who's out there!?" he screamed at the voice.

" _Do you fear the darkness, Wielder of the Justice Arcana?"_ it asked.

Ken stared at the darkness, unsure of where to look. Why was he afraid of the darkness? He took a step forward, the previous anxiety slowly disappearing. He had experienced far too many. He had experienced the dark hour, witnessed his mother's death, fought against a God. Why was he afraid? He took a deep breath, feeling his lungs fill with air. Releasing it, he focused back onto the darkness.

"No," he answered.

Seemingly satisfied, the voice chuckled, his deep voice rumbling throughout the place they were in.

" _As expected from the companion of the Universe Arcana. You are well suited for this task after all."_

Ken raised an eyebrow. What task was the man was talking about? The app? Was it the app?

"Are you talking about the app? Was it you who sent it to me!?" he asked the man, his voice raising.

No answer came.

Ken gritted his teeth in frustration, the cryptic messages of the voice only confusing him even more. He grasped his head, feeling a headache coming in. The voice stayed silent as Ken struggled with his head. A piercing sound echoed the entire place and Ken screamed in pain.

"Gah!?" he yelled as pain flooded his head. He felt his skin heat up as it intensified, threatening to overtake his consciousness. He fell into one knee, clutching his face. It was as if something being carved into his skin, flesh tearing apart as his screams echoed throughout.

And in a moment, it was gone.

Ken grabbed his face, feeling no change in texture. His nose was in the right place as well as his cheeks. His eyes were moving and he felt his mouth open and close. What happened to him?

" _I have given you a gift. With it, your presence will be hidden with the shadows. Use it wisely._ "

"What the fuck was that!?" he screamed at the voice but it merely chuckled.

" _Time marches on. Farewell."_

 **4/19 Early Morning Tuesday**

Ken awoke to the pitter patter of the rain against his window. A slight cool breeze wafted through a crack in the window, the relaxing scent of rain greeting him. The morning sun had not shone and instead, grey blue clouds filled the sky. The room was cold but thankfully he was underneath a cozy fleece blanket. Ken smiled at the peaceful morning, the rhythmic raindrops calming his heart from the nightmare. He sat up, another breeze blowing through and he shivered. He turned towards his left and saw Koromaru sitting at his bedside.

Koromaru climbed up the bed and crossed Ken's body, situating himself into the small crevice between Ken's arm and torso. He laid his head on Ken's chest and let out a small whimper, cuddling into him more.

"Bad dream too, Koro-san?" he asked him, slowly petting his head.

Koromaru bobbed his head up and down and curled up. Ken smiled sadly and hugged the large dog, cooing him to sleep. The soft sounds of the rain and the light breathing of Koromaru filled the room soon after.

Ken's mind wandered back to the dream he had. It wasn't normal. It felt too real to him. The darkness, the voice, the pain, he remembered it all clearly. His hand shot up to his face, a wave of relief hitting him as his face was at least normal still. Another subject of concern was the voice's cryptic messages. It had mentioned the Universe Arcana, something he had not heard since his days with S.E.E.S. and Nyx. Did that voice knew everything about S.E.E.S.? It confused him greatly. He was not even sure if the voice was benevolent. And what about the task that the voice was saying?

Ken ruffled his hair in frustration, the thoughts and points in his head not adding up. A few rays of sunshine peeked through the grey clouds, reminding him that school would be starting in a few hours. He grabbed his phone and opened it. 5:58am.

"I guess I should get ready."

He placed his phone onto the side table and maneuvered his way around Koromaru, not wanting to disturb the dog's sleep. He smiled as he freed his arm, Koromaru automatically latching onto his other pillow instead.

"Huh…?"

A hard object brushed against his arm as he stood up. Ken raised his eyebrow, curious of what he had bumped into. To his surprise, two familiar masks laid on his bed.

The first was a simple blue mask of a woman with the roman numeral "XI" etched into its forehead. It's empty eyes almost haunted him as he picked it up and examined it.

He looked at the other, a white mask of a knight. The visor was shaped like a cross and extended to the ears and chin of the mask. Instead of a roman numeral, three rivets on each side were present.

"Strength and Justice…? How…?"

He grabbed his phone, navigating towards the strange app he has gotten. Tapping the red eye, he was surprised to not see the usual message, only being replaced by a single button.

"Kamoshida's… Castle…?"

 **4/19 Afternoon Tuesday**

It had only been a day and rumors were already spreading around the school. Ken slowly walked the halls of Shujin, listening in on the conversations of the students. Rumors about his relations with the student council president Makoto was quite entertaining but him being a secret delinquent student took the cake for being the silliest. He suppressed a laugh as he heard another rumor about him being an undercover agent to keep tabs on the other transfer student.

The transfer student, the persona user that Fuuka had warned about, looked harmless to him. He watched from a few meters as the transfer student spoke with a blonde girl in a hushed manner. If he was correct, the girl too would be a persona user.

He stopped a student walking nearby and asked about the blonde girl. The student's face quickly turned sour.

"Kamoshida's bitch? Ann Takamaki. She's bad news," the girl spoke underneath her breath.

She leaned in closer to Ken. "I heard she got jealous of the girl who tried to commit suicide so she slept with Kamoshida to blackmail him into getting rid of her spot in the volleyball team."

"Uh-huh, thank you," he said to the girl before she continued walking.

"Kamoshida…? Girl who tried to commit suicide…?" He whispered to himself and made a mental note to ask Makoto more about it. Focusing back on the two, he noticed them fiddling with their phones, nodding in agreement to each other.

"I'll meet you at the rooftop on Thursday after I visit Shiho then we take down Kamoshida," he heard her say before the two finished talking.

They parted and went into their classroom, Ken noting the purposefully placed gap between them entering to prevent the students from starting more rumors.

"Taking down Kamoshida huh?"

 **4/19 Afterschool Tuesday**

Ken stared at the pouring rain from the quiet comfort of the student council room. His task for the day was done in under half an hour, surprising the vice president and president at his proficiency. Now, he sat, waiting for Makoto to finish her part. It was only the two, both content at the sound of the rain filling the silence.

"The rain's coming down pretty hard, huh?" Makoto initiated a conversation as she finished the last few sentences of the report.

Ken nodded and stood up, walking towards the window. The courtyard from below was soaking wet but he saw the transfer student and another blonde student jogging still. They collapsed on the mud, laughing to themselves. "Another persona user probably," he muttered to himself.

"So, Amada-san," Makoto spoke, "do you have any questions? You've been here for… 2 days now?"

He smiled at her and sauntered back to his seat before leaning in towards Makoto.

"What's this about the girl who tried to commit suicide?" he asked her.

She was visibly taken back, the blunt question leaving her unprepared. "I… Uh…" Makoto struggled to form a sentence as she fumbled with her thoughts.

"Relax," he said, quickly taking control of the situation.

Makoto sighed, giving in. She closed her laptop and tidied her workspace before she turned towards Ken.

"Suzui Shiho," Makoto started solemnly. "A second year student who we elected as secretary until…" she paused, looking to find the right words to say.

"She tried to kill herself and now I took her spot instead of the intended treasurer position I was told," Ken finished, surprising Makoto with his straightforwardness.

"I… Yes…"

"Why?"

Makoto only looked away, her head hung low in shame. Ken nodded slowly, understanding her intent.

"So you don't know too."

"Hng… Rumors say she got sexually abused by Kamoshida-sensei but that's not like him at all."

"Kamoshida…?"

Makoto nodded. "Kamoshida is the school's volleyball coach and a very respectable man. Shiho was part of the volleyball team."

"I see."

Ken stared at the crestfallen Makoto, knowing that she was blaming herself of what had happened to the girl. He knew the feeling well, the thought of Shinjiro's death popping in his mind. A sinking feeling in his chest grew.

"Hey, it's not your fault," Ken said to Makoto. "I know that feeling well too and trust me, it's us being weak. We rather blame ourselves than reach out and face the reality headstrong. You're the president for a reason, aren't you?"

Makoto smiled sadly at him. "You've been in this situation before, haven't you?"

Ken crossed his arms and stared at the pouring rain. He released a sigh and lowered his head down.

"Unfortunately so."

Makoto chuckled as she wiped a few years threatening to fall. "I'm sorry, I'm not usually like this. You're right, I'm the president so I should be investigating this rather than just dilly-dallying around like this."

Ken gave a small smile to the president as she returned back to her duties, a renewed motivation behind her actions.

He turned towards the windows once more, the transfer student and the blonde student gone from the courtyard. His mind wandered back to the conversation he eavesdropped earlier. Thursday afterschool would be where they would "take down Kamoshida", whatever it meant. The name Kamoshida had also turned up in the app. Did these persona users also have access to the app? Whoever this Kamoshida was, it was clear he was bad news. And if the rumors were true…

Ken shook his head in disgust if the rumors turned out to be true. " _The poor girl,"_ he thought, a rage growing inside of him towards this Kamoshida.

* * *

 **Author's note: Has anyone guessed yet what's gonna end up happening with the mask? :D Thank you all for the reviews and your patience! I'm currently on top of a mountain and it's finally cool and breezy here. That the insane relative humidity has become bearable. Shit internet still though but enough to post this! I'll see you all next chapter! ^_^**


	7. April 21 2016 Thursday

**SIX DEGREES OF SEPARATION**

* * *

 **4/21 Early Morning Thursday**

The smell of oil filled Ken's bedroom even with the window propped open. His breathing even, he gently ran a soft cloth soaked in oil through the blade of his spear. The three pronged spear had been abused, years of use showing through but it still held on. Careful not to cut himself, he ran through the blade one last time with another kind of oil before he placed it on the floor. Standing up, he walked over to the stack of boxes in the corner of his room and took out a bag that spanned as long as his spear. Setting it down beside his spear, he slowly placed the spear inside and zipped it close.

Satisfied, he turned towards the two masks sitting on his desk. It stared back at him, almost taunting him. Giving in to his urges, he stood up and grabbed the two masks. They felt heavy, the masks not made from plastic or metal. Ivory perhaps? He grabbed the Justice mask and put it on. It was a perfect fit. Content, he placed it on outer pockets of the bag and zipped it close. He still was unsure of where it would be of use in today's excursion but it was given to him 'as a gift' after all.

Today was Thursday, the date chosen by the others to "take down Kamoshida". He had seen the tall volleyball teacher only from afar, the smug grin on his face pissing Ken off. There was a certain aura around him that felt like he owned the place. Some would say like a king almost. Upon closer observation, it was clear the rumors were true. The volleyball members were bruised and battered and their scared excuses of it due to practice were too easy to see through. He knew what force it would take to get the bruises they had for he had them himself. The girls, scarred from whatever the hell Kamoshida did to them, were hesitant in everything they did. Their eyes would wander, scared stiff at anything that came too close to them. It sickened him to the core.

Koromaru sauntered his way towards Ken and plopped down onto his lap.

"Morning boy, you ready for today?" he greeted him as he slowly rubbed Koromaru's belly.

Ken stood up and walked over to the pile of boxes once more. This time, he took out a contraption and placed it around Koromaru's neck.

"Is it feeling tight? You good?"

Koromaru bobbed his head up and down as if to say 'yes'. Ken smiled and ruffled the dog's fur, his mind already feeling anxious. What if he died? What if Fuuka-san was able to detect him and Koromaru using their persona? What if Koromaru died? His heart sank, the thought of his precious best friend dying troubled him greatly. He looked down at Koromaru, a sad smile on his lips.

"Don't die on me, alright?"

Koromaru turned to Ken and growled. He walked to the pile of boxes and jumped in. Moments after, he emerged with a knife between his jaws. Placing it in front of Ken, Koromaru bared his fangs and bowed his head. Ken chuckled and grabbed the knife from the floor, understanding what his friend meant.

"I'll promise I won't too, alright?"

Ken stood up and looked at his own evoker laying on the table. It had not been used in years, it's last use back in the TV World. The gun mental shone against the light, inviting him to pull the trigger. Could he even pull the trigger again? He picked it up and placed it against his temple.

"Bang," he mimicked the sound of the evoker.

Ken turned to Koromaru and smiled.

"Let's do this."

 **4/21 Afternoon Thursday**

"Amada-san, may I talk to you?" Fuuka asked him as soon as the lunch bell rang. Ken raised an eyebrow, unsure of what his homeroom teacher wanted. His heart started beating faster, what if she knew what they were planning? Did she report it to Mitsuru already?

Amidst whispers from the other students, they talked behind the classroom, their voices hushed.

"I sensed Koromaru somewhere inside the school," she sternly said. "Did you forget to tell him that dogs aren't allowed in school? What if he gets caught by animal control?"

Ken stifled a laugh, his heart returning to its normal rate. At least Fuuka wasn't aware of their plans. Her arms were crossed, waiting for an answer.

"I told him to meet me after school so we can go to the pet shop!" he lied, a big smile on his face.

Fuuka let out a sigh. "You shouldn't be leaving him to just wander around the city! What if he gets caught!" She placed an arm on her hips.

"You better take care of him, young man!"

 **4/21 After School Thursday**

The rooftop was quiet, a nice change to the bustling hallways of the school. It had been a few hours since school ended, the sunset painting the sky vivid colors of red, purple, and orange. Ken and Koromaru waited patiently behind the rooftop building, the clutter of unused chairs and desks being a perfect place to relax. Beside Ken, his trusty spear laid on the ground. They hid shortly after the bell ended, trying to beat a classmate of his that had a garden on the rooftop.

The sound of the rooftop door opened and the two stiffened. They listened to the footsteps getting closer before a voice spoke.

"How's Shiho?" a voice asked.

"She hasn't woken up yet but she's stable," a feminine voice spoke. Ken figured it was the girl, Ann Takamaki.

"We'll beat the shit out of that son of a bitch today," another voice yelled. It was probably the blonde delinquent looking student.

"Calm down, Ryuji. Now, what's our course of action Joker?"

Ken raised an eyebrow, unsure of whom the other voice belonged to. It was as if it was a kid's.

"We should be close to the treasure by this point so let's be deliberate in getting rid of all the shadows we see. I want us to be able to handle things if this operation goes south," a calm and collected voice spoke.

"Woah dude, this is why you're our leader."

"So mister transfer student is this group's leader," Ken thought.

"I agree with Akira. Let's get stronger. Don't raise the security level though Ryuji," Ann said. A chorus of agreement came after.

"Wasn't my fault I didn't know where the hell that shadow was looking."

"Alright, open the app and let's go to Kamoshida's Castle," the boyish voice instructed the group.

Across the other side of the building, Ken grabbed his phone and opened the app as well. The button saying Kamoshida's Castle glowed red, inviting Ken to press the button. His grip on his spear tightened that his knuckles whitened. Koromaru growled low, his fur sticking up.

"Come what may," he whispered and pressed it.

 **Starting Navigation to Kamoshida's Castle.**

At first, there was nothing. It was only the sound of the sunset breeze rustling through his ears.

Then, it happened.

The very ground he stood slowly shifted then twisted then changed. Ken held onto Koromaru's collar for safety and peace of mind as his heart hitched, unsure of what to come. His surroundings melted and turned which made him dizzy. The air turned sour, suffocating. He pressed on and took a step forward. Koromaru whimpered in fear and closed the gap between him and Ken. The walls of the buildings morphed and turned sinister, threatening to overtake him. Still, Ken and Koromaru held on.

And then it was over.

Ken's feet hit solid ground with a thud. He examined his surroundings. The rooftop was no longer there. Instead, a castle stood on where the school should be. Ken arched his head upwards, the castle's tower extended towards the blood red sky. It was magnificent, the monstrosity of it all making Ken shudder.

"Huh… Still not as big as Tartarus though. Right, Koro-san?" Ken joked, jabbing his elbow lightly at the dog. Koromaru rolled his eyes at the joke.

"What the…? You can roll your eyes!? Don't roll your eyes with me!"

Ken turned towards the castle, still taken back by the size. The castle walls were high and thick and the drawbridge wide. The group of persona users were missing as well, something that concerned Ken. Where were they? And more importantly, did they see him? They were more experienced in this side. Ken gritted his teeth from anxiety and turned towards Koromaru.

"What should we do Koro-san?" he asked him.

Koromaru walked towards Ken and bumped the bag Ken carried with him. He was reminded of the two masks in his bag and he pulled it out. It looked like how it was before, no glow or strange light coming out of it. He stared at the Justice Arcana mask intently. It was calling for him to put it on. It was a force that he couldn't fight back as he slowly lifted it up onto his face. It felt hot in his hands, burning almost. Ken closed his eyes as it neared.

Nothing.

It felt like nothing. Ken blinked in confusion. He turned towards Koromaru but the dog only turn its head sideways in confusion. Did he do anything wrong? He looked at his clothes. Nothing had changed. His hands shot up to his face. The mask was on, held against his face by a mysterious force but he wasn't complaining.

"Anticlimactic," he deadpanned.

Ken let out a breathe he didn't know he was holding. The mask was a simple mask. It was comfortable too if he was to be honest as well.

He turned his attention to the Strength Arcana mask, unsure of how it would fit the large dog. He placed it near Koromaru's face, turning it sideways to find a way to put it on. He scratched his head. Placing it simply on Koromaru's face, the mask suddenly shook.

"Woah!"

It quickly morphed, fixing itself onto Koromaru's snout and eyes. The two stared in confusion at the phenomenon. Koromaru moved his head about, testing the fit of the mask.

"Are you okay? Is it fitting you well?" Ken asked with concern in his voice.

Koromaru barked, seemingly satisfied. Ken quickly clamped Koromaru's jaws.

"Shhhhh! Are you insane!? You're gonna get us caught!"

"Who's there!?" A metallic voice screeched from the castle.

Ken's breath hitched and his body quickly assumed a defensive stance. He twirled his spear, feeling the familiar weight on his hands. Koromaru unsheathed the knife from his back with his jaws and let out a low growl. The sound of metal scraping against each other slowly closed in towards them and they stiffened. Their heartbeat quickened as it grew closer and closer.

A large shadow clad in armor stalked into view behind the many walls of the castle. It was at least half the size of Ken, it's heavy golden armor clanging against each other. It carried a shield as large as Ken accompanied by a monstrous sword. It trudged closer to them, the ground rumbling each time it took a step towards them. Ken's muscles tightened, ready to lunge and dig his spear into its jugular in a split second. It would be his first time killing a shadow in years and something bloodthirsty deep inside him was excited.

"Oh! It's you guys!" the metallic voice called out. "I thought you guys were those pesky thieves sneaking around."

"H-huh…!?" Ken sputtered out. He was not expecting that type of reply. He lowered his spear in shock as the large shadow comically waddled towards them.

"You guy lost your post didn't you? Follow me. King Kamoshida is having a meeting at the throne room," it spoke cheerfully.

Ken could only nod in confusion as the shadow turned around and walk towards the entrance of the castle. He turned to Koromaru but the dog had the same expression as him. Looking back to the shadow, it casually walked towards the gate and opened it before spinning around towards them.

"Well? We don't have all day you know?" it spoke.

"U-uh…" Ken trailed on, still unsure of what was really happening to them. Did the shadow not know what they were…?

"Oh! It's your first day huh?" it exclaimed and clapped its hands in delight. "Welcome to King Kamoshida's Castle! I too am also a Justice Arcana so you can trust me!"

The shadow walked towards the gate, leaving the two alone in front of the castle. They stared at each other, a mental conversation going between the two. Was it a trap set by the enemy? Were they in over their heads going in alone without any backup support? Ken gritted his teeth, slightly regretting his choice. He examined the blood red sky getting darker every second. Time still passed normally in this dimensions it seemed. Was it even a separate dimension? Another world perhaps? Ken ruffled his head in frustration.

"What do we do Koro-san?" he asked him but Koromaru only looked forward towards the gate.

"I guess one way to find out right?"

They cautiously entered the gate, examining their surroundings. The main square of the castle was massive, a painting of the bastard teacher the size of a billboard hanging right at the middle. It made him scoff at the sheer arrogance of the teacher. Still, he couldn't deny the magnificence of the castle. It distorted suddenly and Ken caught a glimpse of the foyer of the school. He blinked in surprise, unsure of what he had witnessed.

"It's nice ain't it? King Kamoshida loves his aesthetics!" the golden shadow praised.

"King… Is that how he feels…? This is the school after all…" Ken muttered.

He nodded to himself, a theory already forming in his head. If they were dealing with shadows and if this dimension or world was anything similar to the TV World, this Kamoshida was probably the teacher's shadow. It was similar to the accounts of the persona users they encountered. If it was the case… Ken glanced at his surroundings and swallowed the lump forming in his throat. He was in the lair of the Kamoshida's shadow.

"Fuck… I fucked up," he swore, taking a step back and getting ready to run towards the gate. He took Koromaru's collar, leading him towards the exit.

Suddenly, a black mass flew across the room and a cloaked figure was on top of the golden shadow.

"What the hell!?" it screamed. "The thieves! New guy! Help!" The shadow's screams was piercing, forcing Ken to cover his ears.

"Show me your true self!" the figure yelled as it ripped apart the shadow's helmet.

The helmet flew across the room and landed in front of Ken. He froze, watching three other figures coming out of the shadows. The figure on top of the shadow jumped back as it melted to a black ooze. From the black ooze came an angel clad in red armor as if clawing itself out of the ground. It groaned as it swung its sword in panic at the four.

"You guys! You will pay for this!" it screeched.

"Panther! Now!"

"Coming right up!" a girl in a red leather suit yelled.

Ken watched as the girl grasped the mask she had on and ripped it out. The sound of glass breaking could be heard as something materialized behind her. A lady clad in red came forth with two slaves beside her. It waved its arm, an aura quickly surrounding the angel shadow. The shadow suddenly sulked, dropping it's sword onto the ground. The persona quickly dissipated after.

"It's attack is weak now!" The girl yelled.

"Let loose, Skull!" a humanoid creature spoke. It was the same voice as the one he heard on the rooftop.

"Hell yeah!" the boy to the left of the girl cheered and ripped his mask out in the same fashion as the girl. The sound of glass breaking was heard once more and his persona materialized. A skull appeared then the rest came. It was a pirate, a cannon as it's right hand and a sword on its left. It rode a ship as it was a skateboard, a face drawn on the hull of the ship.

It lunged at the angel shadow, a loud crash ringing throughout the square. Ken watched as the shadow's armor was ripped open before it flew across the room and slid against the ground. Black blood was smeared onto the marble floor, quickly starting to pool at where the angel shadow was.

"You fools," the shadow choked out, black blood pouring down its face. "King Kamoshida will hear about this and mop the floor with you!" It coughed, slowly standing up amidst its injuries. Ken winced as he heard bones crack.

"We'll be sure to get rid of that son of a bitch too," the one who summoned the pirate persona yelled. "After we deal with you."

The angel shadow cackled and grasped its sword, its strength returning. A dangerous aura surrounded it and Ken stiffened. His eyes darted towards the group walking towards the shadow, unaware that it had regained its strength. Ken spun his spear, readying himself to jump in. Koromaru growled as unsheathed his knife again.

"You can't do anything right now. Give it up," the humanoid creature said, a smug grin on its face.

The group of persona users sauntered towards the heap of feathers and armor until they were only a few feet away. The one that ripped apart the shadow's helmet pulled out a gun and pointed it towards the shadow.

"You're dead."

"Am I?"

The shadow grinned before it swung at the person's neck.

Koromaru jumped in, his knife digging into the eye of the shadow. It screeched in pain, missing the person's neck by a fraction of an inch. It clutched its eye as it swung around its sword blindly in panic.

Ken's legs shot open, quickly getting in between the shadow and the persona user. He stopped the sword with one of the prongs of his spear. Flipping forward, he kicked the shadow's arm to disarm it. The sound of shadow's bones crack from his kick was heard and it dropped the sword. Twisting his spear around, he freed his spear from the sword and stabbed the shadow. It pierced the shadow's neck, Ken's strength from years of fighting enough to completely decapitate the shadow. Blood spurted out onto his clothes and mask.

"W-why…" the severed head choked out as it slowly disappeared into nothing.

"D-did those shadows s-seriously kill another shadow…!?"

"Huh!?"

Ken turned towards the group. They had retreated back a few yards away, their weapons brandished in defense. The one in front, the one who pointed the gun at the shadow, stepped forward and aimed the gun at Ken. Koromaru growled and placed himself between the persona user and Ken.

"They're still shadows so treat them like any other," the one with the gun ordered the other three. They nodded simultaneously and quickly jumped to circle Ken and Koromaru.

"What the hell!? Can't you see we saved your asses!?" Ken exclaimed.

As if they couldn't hear him, they took a step forward each and slowly closed the circle in.

"Guys! What the hell is going on!?" he yelled at the four again. Koromaru pressed himself towards Ken, teeth bared. Still no response came.

"They can't hear me…"

The girl was the first to attack, her whip quickly grabbing onto his spear. Ken growled in frustration and pulled his spear towards him, knocking the girl off balance. He spun around, freeing his spear from the whip before blocking an incoming blow from the humanoid creature's sword. Koromaru jumped, blocking another incoming blow from the one with the gun this time.

"Move out of the way!" the one with the pirate persona yelled as he pulled out a shotgun.

"A shotgun!?" Ken exclaimed. Before the persona user was able to pull the trigger, Ken lunged his spear forward, one of the prongs knocking the barrel of the shotgun sideways.

"Dammit! I missed!"

"Koro-san! Let's get the hell out of here!" Ken yelled.

They jumped back, getting out of the circle of persona users. Spinning around, they sprinted towards the gate, the four persona users chasing them.

"H-hey! Get back here!" They heard from behind but they didn't look back.

They had reached the drawbridge but the persona users were still on the pursuit. Ken pulled out his phone mid sprint, shakily navigating towards the app. Pressing the only button he could press, he grabbed Koromaru and jumped into the moat.

"Oh God, please take us home," he gasped and closed his eyes as he plunged into the water.

 **Navigating Home. Thank you for your hard work.**

Ken opened his eyes and gasped for air. Above him, the sky was still a splash of orange, red, and purple. The afternoon breeze felt cool to his wet skin as he laid on the rooftop floor of the real world. He was home. He still had the mask on so he ripped it free from his face. It slid onto the floor with a thud, the front of it facing him. What had happened back there? Ken sighed, more confused than ever before. He stared at the mask in disbelief.

He was a shadow. Not literally but at least that was how it looked. The golden shadow was not hostile to them, welcoming them into the castle. It even begged for help as it was ripped apart by the persona users. The persona users too… They called him a shadow and tried to kill him.

His mind wandered back to the voice from his dream. It had asked simply if he was afraid of the dark, unaware that it meant it literally. Ken groaned in frustration, the amount of information hurting his brain.

"What the hell is going on?" he yelled to the open sky.

"...?"

Beside him, Koromaru sat waiting for him to get up. Ken smiled in relief. Whatever had happened, at least his best friend was safe. Ken stood up and picked up his spear a few feet away, content with what he had seen for today. Koromaru stood up and dried himself before following Ken.

"Let's go grab some dinner, bud," he said before he made his way home.

* * *

 **Author's note: So! Did anyone see that coming? :D I wanted to release this update before I end up without any signal or use of my phone. The real fun starts when they send the calling card ;) I hope you all enjoy the update as I had fun writing it as well! Thank you for the encouraging words and reviews but I must tell you guys that I won't be updating it for two weeks as I'll be on a ship. See you guys next time!**


	8. April 22 2016 Friday

**SIX DEGREES OF** **SEPARATION**

* * *

 **4/22 Early Morning Friday**

Ken quietly sat on his desk, overlooking the Shujin Academy courtyard. Outside, a certain blonde, delinquent looking student ran underneath the early morning rain. Ken noted the student's athletic abilities, but he lacked technique, to say the least. Although his movements were erratic and easily dodged, it would hurt like hell if he was struck by that iron pipe he was swinging around. Ken watched as the student tripped, sending him sprawling onto the wet grass. He scoffed, slightly bitter still from when they tried to kill him.

"Amada-san," a voice called out behind him, breaking the rhythmic pitter patter of raindrops. Makoto stood at the entrance of the classroom with her books and bag. "You're early today."

"So are you, Ms. President." He gave her a smile, shifting his weight to face her.

"I don't want to get stuck in the rain when the rush comes."

Ken nodded in agreement, yet his tired eyes showed something else. He was awake all night, his mind replaying the events yesterday. It had been some time since he last saw a shadow, much less beg him for help. That was also the first time he was treated as one too.

It was the mask, Ken was certain. Who gave it to him? Why was it given to him?

"Are you alright?" Makoto's voice pulled him out of his thoughts. Ken flashed her another smile before turning towards the window again.

"Was just wondering who he is," he commented, gesturing at the student still running laps around the courtyard in the rain. He had to give it to him, the student was determined with his training.

Makoto approached the window and peered below. She made a face of disapproval when her eyes fell on the student.

"Ryuji Sakamoto," she said, "former star athlete of the track team before he got an injury." She leaned onto the windowsill, a sad look quickly replacing her expression. "He turned into a troublemaker after that. He was such a good student before too," she reminisced quietly as Ken watched from afar.

"Ryuji Sakamoto," he repeated his name.

"Oh!" Makoto suddenly exclaimed. "Can I ask you a favor after class? Usually, the class president of her class should do it, but since what happened…"

Ken raised an eyebrow at her request. "Uh, sure, whatever it is. I don't mind. I finished this week's paperwork already anyways."

"Thank you! It's... Just to deliver some documents to Suzui's parents... I know it's a bit insensitive in our part, but...," Makoto didn't finish her sentence as she took out a thin stack of papers and placed it onto Ken's hands quietly.

"Her address is at the first page and if you need any help, here's my number."

Exchanging numbers, Ken pocketed his phone and put away the stack of papers.

"I know there's something fucked up that happened," Makoto quietly swore, her face etched with a mixture of anger, confusion, and helplessness. Ken knew the expression well. She was the president of the student council after all.

"I know this isn't the best welcome but I'll get to the bottom of this." She gave him a weak smile before turning around. Ken could only nod.

"Shiho Suzui," he repeated the name written at the front page, his mind racing back to that afternoon.

 **4/22 Morning Friday**

Akihiko threw his briefcase onto his desk in frustration. The cold case of the drug trafficking in Shibuya was turning out to be quite a hassle and the cup of coffee in his hands brought no comfort. Other than a few witnesses and some rumors, it was as if it was done through another dimension or something. His team was of no help as well, the reason for the department's lack of funds being apparent. He groaned as he booted up his laptop, his mind still searching for any semblance of a lead.

If he could only work on something interesting. Hell, he would've taken on the psychotic breakdowns case even if he had to work with the woman Sae. At least she looked competent at what she does. Perhaps it had something to do with the Shadow Ops as well. They were similar enough to the apathy syndrome that plagued the streets of Tatsumi Port Island years ago. It would've been two birds with one stone. Yet, he was stuck working on this case.

"Yo, Sanada-san, wanna get lunch today?" Takane, a fellow detective, called out from the other cubicle.

"It's 8:00am in the morning and you're already thinking about lunch!?" he replied.

"Hey man, just checking!"

He shook his head in further frustration. Takane was a competent detective, in all intents and purposes, yet his tendency to act in a childish manner held him back. Akihiko didn't mind though, his monotonous time in the office only bearable with Takane's help. He reminded him of a certain baseball bat wielding underclassman of his.

His laptop pinged quietly. Fuuka had sent him an email and he made a mental note to check it when lunch hits.

"Yo, Sanada-san," Takane called out once more.

"Not interested in eating right now!" Akihiko answered, shutting him down again.

"Not about that, you one track mind," Takane teased. "You heard that the 'Detective Prince' is coming here to help with the psychotic breakdowns?"

Akihiko raised an eyebrow in confusion. Naoto Shirogane was joining the fray? Although it was years since she was called the 'Detective Prince' and he would have received something from Mitsuru or Naoto herself if she was. Three members of the Shadow Ops in one city was something rare. Five, if he dared include Ken and Koromaru. Was Mitsuru really that worried about this potential persona user?

"Naoto Shirogane?"

Takane shook his head. "No, not the original one! The second one! Goro Akechi!"

Akihiko furrowed his brow in thought. He had never heard of this second Detective Prince before. Perhaps he was a new detective? Wasn't there a copyright or something for the title of Detective Prince?

"Yo, Sanada-san," Takane whispered, breaking Akihiko away from his thoughts. "Anyways, the kid's not even 18 yet! Crazy, right?"

"Uh-huh." He could only nod his head as he tried to block out his coworker, a renewed sense of bitterness in him about his drug trafficking case. Even a child was able to get a hold of one of the most interesting cases. He wanted to solve this case as fast possible to move on to better cases, something more exciting than this.

Takane leaned in closer to Akihiko and brought his hands up to whisper again. "Apparently, one of the police higher ups got one of those psychotic breakdowns so they're bringing in the big guys. Little genius Mr. Detective Prince is just one of many they're bringing in."

"Shouldn't you be doing something about that attempted suicide from Shujin?" Akihiko interrupted, tapping his feet in annoyance. He was forced to hand over the case to Takane as he wasn't assigned enough cases, much to Akihiko's chagrin. He wanted to continue with the case, witnessing the emotional and physical pain the girl was going through himself.

"Takane! CO wants to see you," a passerby called out from the hallway.

"Huh, wonder why."

Takane stood up and sauntered over to the office.

 **4/22 Lunchtime Friday**

Akihiko stretched in his chair, the monotonous half of his workday finally finished. He skimmed through his drug trafficking progress report, satisfied. There were a few minor vandalism cases as well which was simple enough to document. He checked his email, remembering to open Fuuka's from earlier this morning.

"Gentleman Thief," he slowly read out loud, "Zorro the Outlaw, Pirate Legend, The Alluring Dancer. Are these books?"

"Sanada-san," the voice of Takane called out from behind the cubicle wall. "I'm sad," he said, his tone soft and low.

Akihiko sighed, resigning himself to dealing with his co-worker. It was a few hours after when Takane was called into the office for a reassignment of the Shujin case. From what Akihiko had gathered from Takane's mumbling, it was given to the 'Detective Prince'. In place of the Shujin case, he was ordered to conduct an investigation in a suspected illegal arms dealer in a nearby shopping district. But according to him, it was a wild goose chase as the 'illegal' arms dealer was just a normal gun hobbyist shop. Akihiko couldn't comment as he barely knew the area.

"What's up?"

"I just can't believe they took that case from me," he lamented. "They gave it to a kid as well! Fuckin' Detective Prince, my ass. More like," he paused to think, "Detective Take Someone's Case When It's About To Be Closed. Like… The Vulture from that one show!"

Akihiko did not know the show Takane was talking about.

Minutes passed and Takane let out another sigh.

"..."

"..."

Akihiko sighed in defeat and turned off his laptop, knowing full well what his peculiar co-worker wanted.

"Want to get lunch? I know a great curry place."

Takane beamed from behind the cubicle wall.

 **4/22 Afterschool Friday**

Shiho's house was a half hour away from the school. Ken stood at front door, paperwork in hand, unsure if what he was doing was alright. It was only a few weeks since the girl had tried to commit suicide and paperwork should not be in a parent's mind while this was happening.

Regardless, he mustered the courage and rang the doorbell.

Nothing.

A few minutes passed before he decided to press the doorbell again.

Nothing.

He released his breath he didn't even realize he was holding before taking a step back from the door. A car was parked on the driveway and he could hear the TV from the inside. Her parents were home, they just didn't want to answer.

"I tried at least," he muttered to himself.

Putting the pile of papers away, he took another good look at the quaint household illuminated by the setting sun. He took a moment to take in the sound, the nearby laughter of children by the playground, the rustling of the leaves against the gentle wind, and the distant humming of cars from the main road a few blocks away. It was serene.

Suddenly, the door creaked open, pulling Ken from his little moment.

"What is it?" the woman, Shiho's mother, croaked. Her voice was raw. Fragile. He could tell right away she was crying a few moments ago. Bags under her bloodshot eyes, she stared at him with something broken inside.

Ken's heart dropped as she expected his reply, the purpose of his visit escaping him. Her familiar vulnerability was nostalgic for him. Empathy flooded through him as she looked on. Here was a woman who almost had to bury her daughter. Helplessness and fear were all familiar feelings to him.

"Sorry," Ken started, "I believe I got the wrong house."

She nodded silently before closing the door on him. Ken could only watch as her small frame disappeared behind the door, the faint click of the lock jolting back to reality.

The sinking feeling never left him as he once more took in his surroundings. The nearby laughter of children was gone, and the wind had stopped, leaving an uncomfortable silence in the air. The setting sun illuminating everything in an orange glow had come and go, replaced by a somber purple hue.

A buzz came from his phone. Ken's eyes furrowed in confusion as he took out it out. The strange app had once again took over his phone. Tapping it open, a new button had appeared beside Kamoshida's Castle. A notification flashed across his screen. His confusion deepened as he slowly read:

 **Palace Unlocked: Suzui's Seabed**

* * *

 **Author's note: Hi, I'm alive. I lost my phone with all the chapters I wrote on this book (up to chapter 15...) but recently found the file with the plot I wrote for this story that I got inspired again to write. Will actually update this story now ahahaha.**

 **For those of you that are still reading, thank you.**

 **I'm ready to immerse myself in the Persona 3/4/5 fandom once more starting with a new palace (sort of?) that I had planned literally 1.5 years ago. Palaces are created for people with intense negative or corrupt emotions. Usually, when the emotions are not strong enough, they end up in Mementos. The stronger the emotion, the harder the palace. So let's see what Ken can do in this situation. A mother grieving is quite intense after all...**


	9. April 24 2016 Sunday

**SIX DEGREES OF SEPARATION**

* * *

 **4/24** **Afternoon** **Sunday**

Ken lounged around his room, lost in thought at the new button on the app that appeared a few days ago. If it was the same as Kamoshida's Castle, it was a Shadow lair like Tartarus. Not to mention the masks.

"They're still shadows so treat them like any other," he recited to himself, recalling the words from who he assumed was the transfer student.

But what purpose did all of this have? He hadn't touched the mask since that day he was attacked by the group of persona users. What was even the point of a Palace? Where was that weird teacher from Gekkoukan when you needed him?

Ken groaned in frustration, running his hands through his hair. None of the past few days had made any sense to him. The app, the Palaces, the masks, the persona users, the voice from his dream. None of it.

"What did we get ourselves into, Koro?" he called out to the dog across the room chewing on his respective mask. "Should you even be chewing that?"

Koromaru barked back a reply before getting back to the mask. Ken stifled a laugh.

He took his own mask and examined it, his fingers running through the rivets on the side. How many shadows had he killed wearing this exact same during Tartarus? Would he slowly turn into a Shadow when he put it on? Would his shadow materialize again like in the TV World? How did any of it worked? How did that voice even knew he yielded the Justice arcana?

His stomach suddenly growled and he was reminded of his hunger, skipping breakfast earlier this morning. Koromaru's ears perked at the sound and stared at him expectedly.

"Food?" Ken called out to him.

Koromaru barked in agreement.

His stomach took him down the alleyways of Yongen-Jaya in search of a cafe he had heard from Akihiko. Apparently, it had curry similar to Shinjiro's, a somewhat legendary dish back from his middle school days. No Iwatodai Dormitory celebration was complete without it. Even Koromaru was allowed to have it with a modified recipe, although it would always make him gassy.

Cafe LeBlanc.

The storefront was unassuming to say the least but he could already smell something delicious cooking from the entrance. Koromaru sat beside him, unsure if his furry self was allowed to enter. Ken smiled at the dog and ruffled his fur.

"I'll ask buddy."

The bronze doorknob shone brightly against the afternoon sun. Opening the door, the first thing he noticed was the smell of coffee and spices. As his eyes slowly adjusted to the dimly lit interior, a cozy feeling enveloped him and he instantly felt his shoulders unwind. His nose drew him to the counter where an old man worked away quietly.

"Ah, welcome." The old man's voice was rough yet somehow comforting. "What'll it be for you?"

Ken blinked twice, still trying to process the environment. "Uhh…"

"Ken?"

Ken snapped out of his daze to see Akihiko sitting in one of the old worn down booths, a cup of steaming hot coffee on hand. Akihiko smiled and turned to the old man.

"Two of the LeBlanc curries please!"

 **4/24** **Night** **Sunday**

Ken's apartment was quiet and dark, a street lamp outside and his phone being the only source of illumination. Koromaru had fell asleep right after their visit to Cafe LeBlanc, tired from playing with Akihiko for hours. But Ken was wide awake, his mind replaying his conversations with Akihiko earlier trying to find any semblance of a hint of what was happening. Akihiko had purposely mentioned little about the current status of his assigned cases and even less when it came to the Shadow Ops mission. The man was determined to keep him out of it, it seemed.

Reassigning of cases, a new Detective Prince, his depressing desk, his coworker Takane-san, how he still didn't feel ready to propose to Mitsuru. The topics were vague at best, plain useless at worst.

Although he was happy spending time with his senpai, he couldn't shake the feeling of impending danger. He didn't know when it started, but something felt off. It was the same feeling back then when the moon slowly waxed. Staring as hard as he could, the rogue navigation app did not yield any answers as well, the two buttons that appeared seemingly even taunting him at how lost he was at the moment.

What was happening to him?

Groaning, he sat up from his bed and walked towards the edge of his small apartment. He was not falling asleep tonight. Feeling his way through the dark, he rummaged through his school bag till he felt the familiar hilt of his envoker. The weight still felt comfortable to him.

Sitting down, he opened a drawer and pulled out some oil and a piece of cloth. He figured he'd get ready at least. Only time will tell what he needed to do next.

* * *

 **Author's Note: Filler chapter but what can you do. I was delayed by KH3, FFXIV, advanced fluid mechanics, depression, and life in general. Oopsies :^( Next chapter is longer! :D**


	10. April 25 2016 Monday

**SIX DEGREES OF SEPARATION**

* * *

 **4/25 Early Morning Monday**

Murmurs echoed throughout the hallway as Ken stepped into the Shujin's courtyard. A flock gathered at the bulletin boards, shoving each other as they clamoured to the front. Ken raised an eyebrow, curious at what the commotion was all about.

"Amada-san!" a voice called out to him.

He turned to the source to see a flustered Makoto running up to him. Out of breathe, she gasped as she leaned against the wall. She reached out, a peculiar card in her hand.

"Sir Suguru Kamoshida, the utter bastard of lust," he read out loud.

"Do you know what this is?" Makoto groaned, "I've been all over the school trying to take these down but I can't get them all!"

Ken shook his head.

His eyes carefully scanned the message, taking note of the ransom-style lettering. Confessing his own sins? His eyebrows furrowed in confusion as he stared at the signature.

"The Phantom Thieves of Heart," he finished. A scoff escaped his lips. "Every group of persona users has to have a group name, huh?" he added quietly. Who else would have been behind this stunt?

The contents of the card was still unclear though. Thinking back to his S.E.E.S. days, no mention of confessing one's own sins was ever brought up. The Midnight Channel was a blur for him, only remembering that he had to fight to survive.

He slowly stared at the mass of students congregating, the undeniable look of apprehension fixed upon each person. Behind, he could see the three persona users, a satisfied look on their faces. What did this have to do with the bastard's Shadow? Why would they send a calling card?

"Did Kamoshida-sensei do something wrong?"

"Does this mean the rumors are true!?"

"Wait a sec… Is someone gonna take something from Kamoshida-sensei…?"

A figure walked into his view. Suguru Kamoshida. A collective of gasps reverberated throughout the growing crowd.

"Speak of the Devil," Ken whispered.

The tall man slowly read the bulletin board, his shoulders tensing in anger. Ken looked on as the man's act fell apart with each word from the card. He roared and turned towards the students.

"Did you do this!? Or was it you!?" Kamoshida snapped at each one, dispersing the crowd to their respective classrooms.

Ken and Makoto hid behind the corner and watched as the man barreled straight to the three. Makoto gasped but Ken only placed his finger onto his lips, telling her to be quiet. Whatever was about to happen, he needed to see it. Makoto slowly nodded and she slowly peeked around the corner.

"...Was it you two!?" the man roared again.

The transfer student only adjusted his posture, placing both hands inside his pocket. "What if it was?"

Suddenly, the world turned black, his vision turning hazy. His hands shot up to his temple, clutching it in pain as he dropped to one knee. Through squinted eyes, a ghostly silhouette behind Kamoshida materialized. His Shadow…?

"Come... Steal it, if you can!" the silhouette's distorted voice beckoned the group.

As quickly as it came, the moment was over.

"Amada-san! Are you okay!?"

"H-huh…? Ah, yeah… just… lacking some coffee," he lied through his teeth, "I didn't get much sleep last night." It was a half truth as far as he was concerned.

Makoto gaze lingered for a few more moments before she stood up, a sigh escaping her lips. "Please take care of yourself." She bought it.

Ken only nodded before standing as up well. Brushing off of the dust from his uniform pants, he walked towards the bulletin board and started taking down the red pieces of paper. Makoto followed suit and the pair worked silently.

 **4/25 Lunchtime Monday**

Ken's worries came true as the usual interface of the mysterious app was replaced with an ominous warning.

 **Kamoshida Castle Security Level: 99%.**

What were those three planning?

Whatever the purpose of their calling card was, the ramifications were apparent even to the naked eye. He stalked the bastard teacher as he patrolled the hallways, garnering stares from both teacher and student alike.

"I'm scared… What if he goes too far like he did with Suzui-san again…?!" a volleyball player whispered to another in terror.

Ken's hand balled into a fist, anger coursing through him once more at the thought of the poor girl. Maintaining a solid distance, he watched as Kamoshida entered his office, slamming the door behind him. Silently, he listened in.

"I built this school! This school is nothing without me!" Kamoshida recited to himself, "I get to call the shots here. This is my castle!"

Ken's eyes widened. His castle…? His eyebrows furrowed in thought, running through recent events. The castle in the other place. Was it another dimension? Shadows were a personification of oneself's emotions, repressed or not. He was called the King in the other place. Was the real Kamoshida aware of everything in the other place? Ken's lips pursed to a straight line. There were more questions to be answered.

"Amada-san…"

He whipped around to see Fuuka staring at him with a look in her eyes. Ken stiffened. A deer caught in the headlights. Did she caught on? How much did she know?

"Fuu- Yamagishi-sensei?" He caught himself before he could finish. "Is there anything I can do for you?"

She simply walked towards the other direction, a wordless cue for Ken to follow her. She led him towards the rooftop. Was his journey over? What happened if they knew? It was meant to be solitary according to that voice. They settled behind the building, Ken anxious at what his senpai had to say.

"I felt a Shadow earlier," Fuuka started, her voice quiet and clear. "It was not even for a second, but that feeling… I can't mistake that feeling for anything else."

"Are you sure?" Ken played along, unsure of what she really knew.

Fuuka nodded. "I've already called Akihiko-senpai and he's patrolling nearby just in case something happens." She turned to him. "I need you to be careful. The persona users… They're up to something…"

He nodded, a pang of guilt inside him. "I'll stay away as promised." Utter lies.

A smile swept across Fuuka's face, although it didn't reach her eyes. "Do you have your envoker just in case?" she asked.

Ken nodded and patted his school jacket. His evoker felt heavy all of a sudden. "You guys told me to keep it handy… Just in case," he echoed back.

Utter lies once more.

"Good. Make sure you visit us soon, alright?" Fuuka walked towards him and gave him a small hug. "I gotta head back and finish some paperwork."

Ken forced a smile and returned the hug. The guilt he would deal with in another time. For now, he needed to keep them away. After he heard the click of the rooftop door closing, he collapsed to the floor, unaware of how much he was tensed up. He wasn't a liar, not at all.

A group of footsteps interrupted his thoughts. Pressing his back against the wall, the rooftop door squeaked open. It was the persona users.

"Phew, we almost got caught by that new teacher. Isn't she a 3rd year teacher?"

"She's pretty cute, ain't she?" Ken rolled his eyes at the comment.

"Gross, Ryuji."

"Hey, I'm just sayin'! Anyways, you guys ready for today?"

"If things go south and we are forced to fight," Ken heard the transfer student speak, "Ryuji, I need you to keep Tarukaja up always. Rakukaja duty is mine."

A bell tolled throughout the school, signalling the end of lunchtime. The group shuffled towards the door towards class. Ken lingered further, deep in thought.

He breathed in slowly, organizing all the new information he had gathered. They were planning to go in today? Did they not know the security level!? They were the ones who raised it in the first place! It was practically suicide!

The rest of his classes were a blur, the teacher's words reaching deaf ears. The angel he had saved them from was nothing to him yet they needed three to take it down to critical health. They were fairly new persona users, practically bumbling about like babies. Yet, they wanted to fight!?

Panic set in in the 6th period for him as the reality of what they were planning hit him.

He needed to go.

Koromaru wasn't anywhere close and the Pinaka, his spear, sat at home in its case. The only thing he had going for him was his evoker but summoning Kala-Nemi over and over again would slowly bleed him dry. Maybe he could steal one of the spears from one of the Shadows?

"The Shadows," Ken gasped as a thought passed through his mind. Fumbling about, his fingers traced the oddly familiar outline of the mask of the Justice arcana neatly tucked into his bag. "Yeah… I could… That can work…"

The last bell rang, snapping him away from his thoughts. He shot up from his seat, the people around him jumping in surprise. Pivoting on his heel, he sprinted down the hallway.

Makoto appeared from another classroom.

"Ah, Amada-san! Do you have a moment?"

"S-sorry Nijima-san, I feel really sick so I'm gonna go home!" he yelled as he ran up the stairs.

Makoto stood in the middle of the hallway flabbergasted at the exchange. Why did he run up the stairs if he was going home…?

Ken brushed the interaction off as he jumped up another flight of stairs. He needed to be there before them, before they go in and practically kill themselves. Out of breathe, he slammed the rooftop door open and scrambled behind the building.

A few moments later, the shuffling of footsteps.

"Did we not close the door when we left?"

"Who cares. You guys ready?"

Ken swallowed the lump in his throat as he took out something from his bag. The mask of the Justice arcana felt hot in his hands, as if begging for him to put it on. He breathed in deep, feeling every fibre in his body relax as he slowly lifted the mask to his face. His vision turned black as his senses were engulfed.

"Let's go."

 **Starting Navigation to Kamoshida's Castle.**

The first thing he saw was red. The castle was bathed in crimson light, somehow pulling him in. A shiver coursed up Ken's spine, threatening to overwhelm his senses. His lungs hitched, his mouth salivating, his body heating up. What was this feeling? Inviting. Seductive. Dirty.

"Hey, you!"

"H-huh…!?"

A Shadow screeched, forcefully pulling him back to reality. It limbered over to him, its blood red eyes scanning him. His hands instinctively drew close to his evoker.

"What are you doing outside your post!? The intruders are here!" Its metal head whirled towards the castle. "I need you at the control tower! We need to protect our glorious King!"

The mask worked.

Ken dropped to one knee. "A-augh!" He screamed as hard as he could and clutched his chest. "The intruders! They got me!" He braced himself, throwing his body to the ground.

"H-hey! Stay with me!" the Shadow called out to him, dropping its weapons and rushed to his side. "Where are they!?"

"T-the barracks," he choked out as best as he could, "I h-heard about a secret passage. T-they're trying to kill the King!"

The Shadow gasped. "I'll alert the others!"

"N-no, w-wait!" Ken coughed loudly and tried to get up only to fall once more. Ken winced in pain, accidentally biting the inside of his mouth as he fell. At least it helped with the illusion. "T-they're too powerful, w-we need everyone there!"

"But who will protect the King!?" the Shadow roared.

"We kill them before they reach the King!" Ken cried out and grabbed the Shadow by the arm, climbing up to his feet. "I want to help! I can still fight!"

The Shadow stared at him, eyeing him up and down. Ken stiffened. Did it buy his performance?

"Q-quickly!" he commanded.

That seemed to snap the Shadow into action. "Y-yes! I'll call as many as I can to the barracks!"

"H-help me get there!" Ken choked out as he put his weight onto the Shadow.

"Y-yes!"

Inside the barracks, Ken slumped onto the corner of the door, eyeing the mass of Shadows around him. The barracks were musty, dark, and cramped. Stone walls were barely illuminated by the sparse torches placed on the wall. The smell of ichor was apparent, taking him back to his S.E.E.S. days. He never imagined to be this close to this many.

The higher ups were dressed in gold, he noted, while the rest were in the typical familiar grey armor. Armed to the teeth, each Shadow was tensed up, ready to fight. Ken scanned the crowd, eye-ing those who opted for a spear. His hands were itching to grab his evoker but he needed to wait. He needed to draw as much he could.

At least sixty, he counted.

"Where are the intruders!?" a gold Shadow screeched, banging its spear against its shield in anticipation. "I will be the one to kill them!"

A few more stragglers jogged to the room, weapons at the ready. "We couldn't find any sign of them!"

The gold Shadow roared. "Were we tricked!? ...King Kamoshida! Who's with King Kamoshida!?"

A smirk slowly crept on Ken's face, although the mask hid it. He stood up and slammed the door shut, the noise echoing throughout the barracks. The room grew quiet and every Shadow turned their heads towards him. He took out his envoker, his hands feeling its familiar curves. It gleamed against the warm light of the fire.

"Thank you for gathering here today," he started, his voice reaching towards the very back of the mass of Shadows.

"W-what is the meaning of this!?" the gold Shadow screamed, pointing its spear at him. "Explain yourself!"

"Kala-Nemi," Ken whispered and placed the evoker against his temple. The cold steel felt almost comforting to him.

The sound of glass crashing echoed throughout the room as an apparition materialized behind Ken. A few of the Shadows started running away in terror as they were enveloped in light.

The apparition of Kala-Nemi outstretched its arm as static slowly built up around the room.

"Thunder… Reign…"

* * *

A few moments before, above at the central tower, the Phantom Thieves slowly crept up to the safe room closest to the throne. The castle was quiet, save for a few shadows they met, and quickly disposed of, on their infiltration route. Mona peeked around the corner, finding nothing. He furrowed his eyebrows in confusion.

He tugged at Joker's leg as they stopped to scout out the open area for any lingering Shadows. "Something's off Joker… There's barely any guards."

"Good for us! We can go straight to the treasure!" Skull reasoned with a smirk, spinning his barbed wire baseball around. "Kinda wanna bash some Shadow skulls though!"

"Don't swing that thing around!"

"Enough," Joker ordered. "There might be Shadows waiting for us by the throne room so I want everyone to be ready for confrontation. Everyone remember their roles?"

The three other thieves nodded in confirmation.

"Alright, let's do thi-"

"Wouh!" Mona suddenly cried, a foreign sensation reverberating throughout his body. The phantom thief was stunned, rattled at the immense pressure.

Panther rushed to his side, cradling his head between her arms. "Mona! Are you okay!?"

"L-lady Ann!" he choked out, a blush threatening to shade his cheeks. "I-I felt something big. S-something powerful."

Joker's face darkened as he jumped to the cat's side. "Are you good first?"

Mona nodded and jumped up. "It was from down below, but it was just… Powerful… Scary… I think we're far away from it for now."

"I felt something too," Skull called out as he looked at the direction of the force, his tone serious. "Something big just released a lot of electricity. I felt it…"

Joker stared at Skull for a moment before nodding. Ryuji was attuned to electricity but was still weak in terms of magic. If he felt it too... He turned to the other two with a shiver in his voice. "Let's go, before whatever that thing is comes to us."

A collective grunt of agreement was heard from the group as they rushed on towards the treasure.

 **4/25 Night Monday**

"I see…" Mitsuru finished reading the report that Fuuka had given her in the afternoon. "Two Shadows appearing in one day... "

Through the laptop, Fuuka yawned as she struggled to keep awake. "I couldn't pinpoint their exact location but they were definitely inside the school," she started to explain. "The first one was gone really fast but the second one was there for a few seconds before disappearing."

Mitsuru nodded and placed the report at her desk. She placed her hands on the desk, deep in thought. "Is backup necessary? From what I recall, Yukari is flying soon close to Tokyo for a shoot."

Fuuka shook her head. "I don't think so. For now, I need to grab more data." She sighed as she collapsed onto the couch, her thoughts going back to what happened after school.

 _She was putting away her reports when the familiar feeling hit her. It was quick yet subtle, her eyes darting towards the ceiling. Then, it was gone. A knot in the pit of her stomach grew as she thought of one person._

 _Ken._

 _Fuuka dropped the folder onto the table and closed her eyes, reaching out for Kala-Nemi's presence. Is he okay? She couldn't feel him anywhere in the school. Where was he!? Her eyes shot open, running out of the faculty office towards the first floor._

 _Kawakami appeared down the hallway as she turned towards the stairs. "Ah! Yamagishi-san! Do you wanna hav- Wouh!"_

 _"Sorry! Need to check something!"_

 _Fuuka jumped the last two steps of the last flight of stairs and threw herself at the entrance of the classroom._

 _"Ah! Yamagishi-sensei, what can I do for you?"_

 _Breathless, Fuuka stared at the student council president in front of her. Nishima? Najima? She cleared her throat and adjusted her cardigan, composing herself back together. "A-ahem. Sorry, I was looking for Amada-san. Have you seen him around?"_

 _The student council president nodded. "I have! But he rushed home since he felt sick."_

 _Fuuka gasped for air as she let out a sigh of relief._

 _He was safe._

"Fuuka?" Mitsuru's voice snapped her out of her thoughts. Fuuka shook her head to clear her mind as she sat up. "Have you been getting enough sleep? We both know how much we lose ourselves with work."

Fuuka smiled sadly at her senpai. "I know… I'll make sure to sleep now," she assured.

"Goodnight," Mitsuru cooed as she ended the video call.

Placing the laptop onto the table, she made her way to her bedroom and toppled onto her bed. A few moments later, the soft sound of her snoring filled the quiet room. She was exhausted.

* * *

Ken opened the door to his apartment, exhaustion on the verge of overtaking him. His fingers felt numb, cramping up at the slightest pressure applied. Although the Shadows were weak, the sheer number had threatened to overwhelm his a few times. His uniform was tattered, blood seeping thru the few wounds still open. He would need to wait to regain some energy to use Diarahan. Hopefully, they wouldn't scar. Koromaru patiently sat in front of him as soon as he opened his apartment, curious eyes meeting very tired ones.

"Hey Koro-chan," he greeted before collapsing onto the floor and falling asleep.

* * *

 **Author's Note: Level 99 Ken vs tons of Level 16 Heavenly Punishers, who would win? Apparently the Level 99 Ken. Next day will be short and the gaps between days will soon widen since yeknow... the first few hours of Persona 5 are chock full of world building and setting the stage. Also, what happened to Suzui's Seabed, ya ask? I guess we'll see.**

 **Funnily enough, I just noticed a somewhat similar fic called Justice for All with Ken and the Phantom Thieves. AHAHAHA.**


	11. April 26 2016 Tuesday

**SIX DEGREES OF SEPARATION**

* * *

 **4/26 ?**

All he could see was black, as dark as the moonless night. The feeling of weightlessness as he fell, and fell, and fell, became familiar to him. How long has he been falling? Where was he? He tried to reach, to grab hold of anything, but all there was was emptiness as he fell deeper into nothing.

A quiet glow soon appeared in the distance, a beacon of light in this expanse of black.

" _Well met, Wielder of the Justice Arcana."_

"Who… are… you…?"

" _An impressed benefactor. Facing the dark alone, what reckless bravery."_

"I… had… no choice…"

The voice let out a laugh.

" _He has chosen well… Although recklessness can only take one so far."_

The voice chuckled quietly to itself once again before growing silent. The light grew closer to him. He extended his arm, desperation building with each movement. Then, he felt it. Perched on his fingers, a small butterfly rested. His eyelids grew heavy as his consciousness slowly faded away.

" _Time marches on. Until we meet again."_

Ken awoke with a jolt, his eyes taking in the surroundings. His arm ached. Did he sleep on it? Why was he on the floor? He heard Koromaru's soft rhythmic breathing, quietly sleeping away next to him. His face softened as he picked up the peaceful dog, walking over to his bedroom.

Did he have a dream? He tried to recall the events to no avail when a sharp pain erupted through his body, dropping him to his knees.

"Ah shit… Forgot about that," Ken cursed before limping over to his luggage.

He rummaged through to contents until he pulled out a small plastic bottle of painkillers. Stumbling to the kitchen, he noticed a trail of blood, _his_ blood, on the floor. _I'll clean that up tomorrow,_ he thought before grabbing the evoker off of the floor.

He took a deep breathe and placed the evoker onto his temple, hoping he had recovered enough for a Diarahan.

Tomorrow was going to be a long day.

 **4/26 Early Morning Tuesday**

At 6:04am, the precinct was ablaze after the morning's debriefing, ready to take on the day. Akihiko leaned against the counter, a white mug bearing his name in his hands, a gift from Mitsuru. Although his girlfriend excelled in _many_ things, artistic was not one of them. His fingers affectionately traced the haphazard strokes as he waited for the hot water to finish boiling, his mind wandering to recent events.

The thought of two Shadows appearing yesterday right under their noses concerned him. Fuuka had briefed them last night at what happened. Although it was good that no one was harmed, the possibility of a non-persona user getting caught in the situation was always at the back of his mind. The calling card fiasco was the work of the persona users, no doubt about it. To add fuel into the flame, the sexual assault case had not gained any traction among his peers, murmurs of simply bullying being thrown around the building.

"Always high schools, huh," he commented bitterly.

The already familiar ding of the kettle broke him from his thoughts. He yawned, grabbing the container of instant coffee from the cupboard above.

A beep sounded from his pocket. Akihiko raised an eyebrow as he fished his phone out. A text from Fuuka?

 _ **[6:05am] Fuuka:**_ _Kamoshida placed himself in suspension. Something's happening._

His mug nearly slipped from his hands, reeling back from the message. He placed the mug down and proceeded to reply.

 _ **[6:05am] Akihiko:**_ _And the persona users?_

 _ **[6:07am] Fuuka:**_ _Just listened to the cafe and I think he's awake right now. I'll see if he show up for school. I'll keep you updated._

Akihiko grumbled his frustrations and pocketed his phone back, his peaceful morning already ruined. He had hoped it would be a quiet day in that side of his life but it seemed fate was determined to be fickle in that regard. Finishing up brewing his coffee, he exited the staff room and walked over to his desk.

"A report on the latest update in the Shibuya trafficking ring... New evidence… Eye-witness… Anonymous tip..." he slowly listed the new information he had received in the debriefing. It seemed that a few detectives had started making some progress with the elusive trafficking ring. Like a bird of prey, his eyes homed in at a single name written in one of the paragraphs.

"Kirijo Group…?"

 **4/26 Morning Tuesday**

He wanted to die. Figuratively of course, although he may soon mean it if the people around him refused to be quiet. The constant murmurs of his classmates slowly grew in volume as they trickled in for their first class. The rumors of Suguru Kamoshida, the upstanding teacher, suspending himself spread like wildfire across the school. The school was on the move, seeds of doubt planted by the calling card from yesterday slowly germinating, permeating throughout the student body.

Yet Ken did not care, at least for now. It had been a while since he had completely drained himself in summoning Kala-Nemi that he had completely forgotten the consequences. How many Megidolaon did he even cast? The pounding in his skull grew while his parched mouth desperately needed liquid. His body was on fire from pain, the pills and extremely late diarahan only doing so much while body naturally healed. He really hoped his wounds wouldn't scar.

He heard the chair in front of him being pulled out. "Ibuprofen by any chance, Amada-kun?" his classmate, Okumura, offered with a kind smile.

Ken returned the smile. "Thank you, Okumura-san, I don't think it'll help me though." He stared at the plastic water bottle on her desk. "Can I have a sip of water though?"

Okumura giggled and placed the bottle on his desk. "Take it, I think you need it more than me right now."

 _Bless her soul_ , Ken praised.

The bell finally tolled, the students around him shuffling to their respective seats. Sighing in relief, the room soon fell into a comfortable silence as class started.

Yet Ken did not care once again. He stared at his phone, affixed on the mysterious app. His mind wandering to yesterday.

The castle had started to shake as he hunted down the remnants of the castle guards scurrying throughout the corridors. Before he knew what had happened, a piece of the ceiling came crashing down on the Shadows. The impact had shattered nearby windows, shard of glass flying, some of it embedding into his skin. Seizing the opportunity, he had jumped out of the second floor, watching the castle slowly crumble into nothing.

His thumb traced the area where the button for Kamoshida's Castle would usually be, the empty space feeling foreign. He let out a sigh. What's done was done and from what saw, all four of the persona users were safe. Still, the sheer stupidity them rushing into a Shadow lair like that made him unreasonably agitated. Regardless of the turn of events, the castle was no more and all that was left was the other location this app had found.

Suzui's Seabed. He took a deep breath then slowly breathed out to collect his thoughts. If it was anything like Kamoshida's Castle, it would also be a Shadow lair as well. Although the Shadows he faced in the castle were weak, succumbing to a single hit from Ken, would this place also be similar? Would the other persona users have access to this as well? Furthermore, the most important question still remains. Why was he given this?

 **4/26 Lunchtime Tuesday**

Lunchtime soon came and Ken found himself hidden away in the student council room, secluded from the bustling hallways of the school. The quiet, muffled sound of footsteps and murmuring from behind the door was oddly comforting to him. Class was monotonous and constantly fighting back the urge to vomit exhausted him. He placed his head on the table, hoping to catch a few minutes of sleep.

"Amada-kun?"

"H-huh?"

Begrudgingly, he looked up from his comfortable position to see Makoto staring at him with concern. He offered her a weak smile as he sat up. She placed her bag beside his and sat down facing him before letting out a tired sigh. Ken chuckled at her display and dug into his bag, producing a small chocolate bar.

"KitKat?" he offered. "You look like you really need it."

She smiled sadly and accepted. "This calling card has me running around the school. Kamoshida-sensei suspending himself also doesn't help anyone."

"Did you find anything else about Suzui-san?"

Makoto frowned and cast her eyes down. "I think I'm finally understanding the situation but..." Ken heard a rare moment of hesitation in her voice. "He doesn't seem like that kind of person…"

Silence fell between the two exhausted student council members, Makoto munching on the chocolate bar and Ken looking out of the window.

"Were you able to deliver the package to Suzui-san?" Makoto asked.

Ken turned and shook his head, sheepishly rubbing the back of his neck. "I tried. But… It felt wrong to intrude. Her mom…"

The hollow grieving eyes of Shiho Suzui's mother flashed into his mind.

"W-what they need right now," Ken paused, "what everyone needs, is space."

Makoto let out another sigh as he finished. "I understand… I guess I got too zealous in trying to get her back up on her feet, I forgot to consider how she or her family felt. Guess I'm useless, huh?"

Ken shook his head and smiled sadly. He locked his eyes with hers. "Nothing wrong with trying to help. Good intentions, Nijima-san. You're not useless."

Makoto beamed at him. "I try."

Ken noticed her smile didn't reach her eyes.

 **4/26 Evening Tuesday**

Akihiko paced back and forth in the small apartment, anxiously waiting for Mitsuru behind the screen to finish reading the report he had received earlier in the morning. Fuuka sat at the dining table, a mug of coffee beside her, looking over her school plan.

"You really taking this undercover job seriously, huh?" Akihiko commented.

Fuuka grinned. "It helps a lot to get organized. Plus, imagine if Shinji saw me today! Me! Teaching a home economics class!"

He let out a laugh, memories of Fuuka's disastrous cooking felling his best friend way back during their high school days. Granted, he reasoned, Fuuka's cooking had improved dramatically, he was still nervous when he found out the only open spot in the school for her was a home economics class. Shinjiro would've been proud.

"Ahem," Mitsuru called behind the screen. "It seems there's some connections with a few employees of the Kirijo Group."

Akihiko raised his eyebrow in curiosity. He leaned in closer to the screen, noting the necklace he had bought her for their anniversary wrapped around her neck.

"Nice necklace," he slipped out with a mischievous grin.

Mitsuru frowned, thankful that the pink tint on her cheeks would barely show on camera. "Akihiko. Focus."

"Sorry."

"Now, as I was saying. I traced down some of these names to a few middle ranking employees in the company." Mitsuru paused, a finger on her chin.

"Although… It could all just be a coincidence. The connections between some of these are very vague. For example," Mitsuru pulled up a photo of a man. "Daisuke Ooe. A shady politician and one of the names in the report. He went to the same college with an employee of the company."

Akihiko stood up straight, deep in thought. "I think Takane-san was the one who found out about Ooe and his link with the drug trafficking case. I'll ask him tomorrow if he has any other details."

Mitsuru nodded. "Let me know what else he has to say. Now about these Shadow appearances…"

Fuuka cast her eyes down, slightly ashamed that she couldn't do the one thing she was brought in to do. "I couldn't get a good sense of how dangerous the first one was but the second one was… Really strong."

Mitsuru placed her finger on her chin once more. "Reaper-level?"

Fuuka shook her head. "Not that strong, but I don't think Senpai can handle it alone…"

The three were silent for a moment at her words. Akihiko stiffened. He was dealt a slight blow on his manliness and pride, but he would never tell her that. He coughed to get their attention.

"Will we need backup then?" he asked.

Fuuka shook her head. "I think for now, we need to observe. I don't want to bother anyone unless we really need to."

"Yukari's shoot was relocated to Hokkaido but I believe Kujikawa-san and Tatsumi-san will be at Tokyo for a few weeks soon. I'll let them know to be ready just in case. Now, is there anything else?" Mitsuru asked before ending the video call.

"Oh!" Fuuka called out. "I need a favour Mitsuru-senpai!"

The redhead raised an eyebrow at her kouhai. "Hmm? Go ahead and I'll see what I can do."

"Can I get complete access to Tokyo's electrical grid?"

Mitsuru's eyes widened and she gaped at the request. She stumbled a bit before placing both hands on the desk, deep in thought. The Kirijo group was influential but Fuuka's request was at a whole other level.

"A-all of it?"

"All of it."

"U-uh… I'll see what I can do."

* * *

 **Author's Note: So yeah... Thank you for those that reviewed the last chapter. I honestly SUCC at writing now but this plot bunny (do people even use that word anymore?) has been in my head for the last year and a half that I just had to go back in here and iron it out. Once again, thank you for those that reviewed and those that didn't, I still appreciate that you took some time out of your day to read my story.**

 **Also, the first part was inspired by KHIII. Thoughts on the game? As someone who played/watched all, and I mean ALL, games/cutscenes, it was pretty emotional but the ending was hmmmmmmm...**


	12. April 30 2016 Saturday

**SIX DEGREES OF SEPARATION**

* * *

 **4/30 Morning Saturday**

"Sanada-san! Good news!"

Takane lazily draped himself over the cubicle wall with a smile on his lips. The disheveled man's grin widened some more as Akihiko's gaze of confusion set in.

"What…?"

"CO wants to see you."

He frowned. Whatever it was, it couldn't be anything good. Akihiko shook his head as he took a deep breath in. What if he was getting something new? Something exciting finally? Resigning himself from having a quiet morning, he placed his mug down and reluctantly stood up.

"Hey chief, I heard you wanted to see me?" Akihiko called out.

A shiver went down his spine when he walked into the room. Next to the chief stood a boy in a tan peacoat, deep in discussion with the former. Clearing his throat to grab their attention, Akihiko quietly knocked at the open door. When the boy's head whipped up to look at him, Akihiko couldn't stifle a cough as a peculiar, yet unmistakable, sensation worked its way through his body. The boy merely smiled and extended his arm to him.

"Ah, Sanada-san, I assume? Goro Akechi," the boy introduced himself.

 **4/30 Afterschool Saturday**

Ken frowned at the situation he had found himself in. In his defense, when the charming Haru Okumura asked him after class to accompany her with her gardening, the last thing he had envisioned was running around throughout Yongen-Jaya scouring for bags of topsoil.

For what felt like the hundredth time, they exited another store defeated. Ken's knees ached, still feeling the fatigue from a few days back. Meanwhile, Haru quietly hummed to herself as she scrolled through the gardening stores on her phone. He peeked at her phone and groaned. The next closest store was a few kilometers away.

"How hard could it be to find a few bags of dirt!?" Ken complained, sitting down at a nearby stack of pallets. He stretched his legs, enjoying the moment of respite.

Haru let out a soft laugh and took a seat next to him. "I'm sorry for dragging you out for this. I didn't expect it to be this hard."

Ken shook his head. "No, no. It's fine. I promised I'd help, right?" He stood up and noticed they were close to a supermarket. An idea formed in his head. "Okumura-san, ice cream break?"

Haru's eyes lit up. "Oh, yes please!"

He walked into the supermarket, straight for the freezer at the back of the store. Grabbing two of the best looking ones, he noticed the label. "Huh, Okumura Foods. Same name." He simply shrugged before turning around towards the cashier.

His eyes caught a small woman in one of the aisles, unmoving. She stood silent, somber even, unaware of the people around her. Her face was familiar to Ken but he couldn't exactly pinpoint where he knew her from. Paying no mind, he swerved skillfully around her towards the counter.

"¥500 is your total."

He reached for his coin pouch, fishing around for a few ¥100 coins. After a small thank you, Ken started to walk away when he heard something heavy drop behind him.

"Ma'am!" the cashier suddenly exclaimed, clamoring to get out of the counter

Ken turned around and saw the woman on the floor. _Shit_ , he swore to himself and ran towards her side. He grabbed her wrist, placing his finger, desperately trying to find a pulse.

"Please, please, please…"

He visibly relaxed as he felt the subtle yet slow beat. _She's alive._ His mouth clenched and his eyes darted back and forth, his mind running through what he had to do next.

"Get her feet up!" Ken yelled at the cashier but the the man was stuck in a state of shock. He cursed before looking around the supermarket for anything to use, a box, or a container of some sort.

"Amada-kun?" Haru walked in, her concerned eyes locking with his. _The pallet!_

"Haru!" he yelled. "Grab a pallet from outside, now!"

"H-huh!?"

"Now!"

Haru stood still for a moment before running back out. He turned to the stunned cashier, anger in his voice. "Snap out of it! Call 119!"

Finally breaking through, the cashier scrambled to the back. Ken's attention went back to the woman, her frail and sickly skin looking incredibly pale.

 _Suddenly, he was back._

 _The supermarket melted away, linoleum replaced by cold pavement. The green moon illuminated the narrow alleyway, a loud sobbing filling the eerie silence. He held onto his mother's hands._

" _Ken," his mother gasped. "Come here." Her desperate hands reached up to his cheek, tenderly caressing it as she choked, struggling to breathe. His heart caved in, a wave of melancholy crashing through._

 _Why was he reliving this now?_

 _"Mom!"_

 _Why now?_

 _Suddenly, the apparition of a man materialized in front of him, slowly extending its hands to Ken's, beckoning him quietly._

 _Thiswas not part of it. He would know, for he had relived this moment in his head to feel his mother's touch one last time._

 _Why was he here?_

"Amada-kun!"

Haru's voice broke through, sending Ken back to reality. He blinked at her, eyes wide and caught unprepared. The aisles of the supermarket had returned and he was on the linoleum floor, holding an unconscious woman.

"W-what do I do!? Is she gonna be okay!?" she exclaimed, holding a pallet on her trembling hands.

Ken shook his head free from the creeping thoughts. "Here, give it to me."

 _What was that…?_

 **4/30 Evening Saturday**

The two found themselves outside the general hospital, ice cream and topsoil forgotten, a pregnant silence between them. They had just finished being questioned by the police about the incident, unsure of what else they were supposed to do.

Concern filled Haru's mind as she stared at Ken. He had been acting weird since the incident, his eyes filled with something she couldn't exactly pinpoint. She playfully tried waving her hand in front of his face to no success.

Haru tried to break the silence. "At least it was just exhaustion and stress, right?"

Ken merely nodded, his gaze fixated at the entrance of the hospital.

Haru shifted her weight, struggling to find the right topic as the silence grew longer. "Amada-kun, are you okay?" she finally asked. "I'm sorry this is how it turned out. I feel bad. This was all my fault!"

"I remember her now," he spoke softly that Haru almost didn't catch it. His tone emanated sadness and Haru couldn't help but cast her eyes down.

"She was Suzui-san's mother."

Haru raised her eyebrow, unsure of who he meant. "Who…?"

"The girl who tried to commit suicide."

Silence returned between the two as Haru's eyes widened at the revelation. "I didn't know…"

Ken let out a soft sigh. "It's alright. Hey, we should probably get home." He tried swerving the topic of conversation. "It's getting pretty late."

He turned his back to the hospital and faced Haru, giving her a lopsided smile. "Are you taking the train?"

She shook her head and turned towards a black car parked a few meters back. "I have a ride. I would offer you a ride home but…" she trailed on, her voice getting quieter.

Ken simply nodded. "No worries. Take care."

 **4/30 Night Saturday**

Ken laid awake in the dark room, Koromaru comfortably sleeping away beside him. Try as he might, sleep evaded him, the heaviness in his heart and the cloudiness in his mind shooting down any chance of sleep. Instead, a flurry of emotions circled through him as he thought about Kamoshida did, the suicide attempt, the hollow look in the woman's eyes, and the vision.

And the vision.

His teeth clenched. Did the situation remind him of that night? A chip in his resolve? He had long accepted his mother's death, yet why did it feel so real? His hand found its way to his cheek, trying to remember how his mother's hand felt. Soft and caring, gentle to the touch. Why did it appear now? More importantly, who was that man? Something inside him grew hot the more his mind wandered and his fist tightened to a ball, nails almost digging into skin.

How dare that man, no, that _thing_ , desecrate the last memory of his mother!?

A thought crossed his mind.

He sat up, carefully untangling his arm from Koromaru's grasp. Reaching around to his side table, he took out his phone and navigated to the mysterious app. "There's nothing else to try but this."

Tomorrow was going to be a long day.

* * *

 **Author's Note: sorta filler, sorta not. Sets up in a low key way one of the plotlines at least. Please rate and review! I've been trying to get back into writing more by reading other books, looking at tips and styles online, drawing inspiration from lyrics, etc. Also, this is not a Haru x Ken fanfic.**


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